Aerocrine’s FeNO technology is standard practice in NHANES data by the CDC to define airway inflammation in US population
SOLNA, Sweden – 5 December 2011 – Aerocrine announced that the Center for Disease Control for Health Statistics measured FeNO as a standard practice in examining the components on respiratory health, using the NIOX MINO device.
Aerocrine is very pleased the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), through its National Center for Health Statistics, has recognized the importance of utilizing fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) measurements in a national survey to help understand the prevalence of airway inflammation in the U.S. population. The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES; http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhanes.htm), a continuous program with an evolving, need-based focus on a variety of health and nutrition measurements, is used to determine the prevalence of major diseases and risk factors for diseases. Uniquely combining interviews and physical examinations with laboratory tests, the survey examines a national representation of people located across the country, and measuring FeNO is currently a standard procedure when administering the survey.
The measurement of FeNO is one of two examination components on respiratory health in the NHANES 2007-2008 and 2009-2010 surveys sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute of the National Institutes of Health and FeNO will continue to be collected for at least two more years. In these surveys, FeNO is measured using the Aerocrine NIOX MINO®, a portable, hand-held nitric oxide (NO) analyzer (Aerocrine AB, Solna, Sweden) cleared by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2008. The objective of the FeNO data collection is to examine baseline FeNO values and reference ranges for the U.S. healthy population, as well as those with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and those who are smokers. The data collection is also intended to help define the prevalence of undiagnosed airway inflammation in the U.S. and to examine the association between airway inflammation, other measurements of lung function and capacity, and physical and laboratory measures. Survey participant’s ages six to 79 years are eligible for FeNO testing, and valid measurements obtained in 13,275 study participants using the NIOX MINO were recently released for analysis.
We are confident that through this assessment FeNO will continue to demonstrate its utility in the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with inflammatory airway diseases such as asthma, and it will enable physicians to provide a more personalized approach to the treatment of these conditions.
For more information, contact:
Kathy Rickard, Chief Medical Officer, Aerocrine, Inc., telephone (919) 749-6708
Chip Neff, President, Aerocrine, Inc., telephone (919) 696-4267
About Aerocrine Aerocrine AB is a medical technology company focused on the improved management and care of patients with inflammatory airway diseases. The pioneer and leader in the technology to monitor and manage airway inflammation, Aerocrine markets NIOX MINO® and NIOX® Flex. Both products enable the fast and reliable measurement of airway inflammation and may thus play a critical role in more effective diagnosis, treatment and follow-up of patients with inflammatory airway diseases such as asthma. Aerocrine is based in Sweden with subsidiaries in the US, Germany and the UK. Aerocrine shares were listed on the Stockholm Stock Exchange on 15 June 2007. Aerocrine may be required to disclose the information provided herein pursuant to the Securities Markets Actand/or the Financial Instruments Trading Act. The information was submitted for publication at 18:00 am on December the 5th 2011.