CINCINNATI–Meridian Bioscience, Inc. (NASDAQ:VIVO) is pleased to announce the launch of a new Clostridium difficile rapid test, ImmunoCard C. difficile GDH. This assay detects the common antigen, Glutamate dehydrogenase, produced by toxigenic and non-toxigenic strains of Clostridium difficile. Toxigenic strains of Clostridium difficile are frequently associated with hospital and community acquired diarrhea and can lead to life-threatening complications or death. ImmunoCard C. difficile GDH can be used by laboratories worldwide to screen patients with diarrhea for C. difficile. To differentiate those patients at risk of disease associated with toxigenic C. difficile, GDH-positive patients are often confirmed with toxin-detecting tests such as highly sensitive molecular assay, illumigene® C. difficile.

With the addition of ImmunoCard C. difficile GDH, Meridian Bioscience is uniquely positioned in the market as the only manufacturer able to provide a complete portfolio of C. difficile testing solutions that can meet the needs of our global customers. The combination of ImmunoCard C. difficile GDH and illumigene C. difficile provides laboratories with an algorithmic option to C. difficile diagnostic testing.

Richard Eberly, Chief Commercial Officer stated, “C. difficile is a very dangerous infection that can lead to severe consequences for the patient and for the healthcare institutions that care for them. The addition of ImmunoCard C. difficile GDH continues Meridian’s legacy of leadership in the detection and identification of C. difficile. In addition, this new product in conjunction with the Meridian illumigene C. difficile technology empowers laboratories to identify C. difficile patients with both a rapid screening test and molecular confirmation in less than two hours.”

Meridian is a fully integrated life science company that manufactures, markets and distributes a broad range of innovative diagnostic test kits, purified reagents and related products and offers biopharmaceutical enabling technologies. Utilizing a variety of methods, these products and diagnostic tests provide accuracy, simplicity and speed in the early diagnosis and treatment of common medical conditions, such as gastrointestinal, viral and respiratory infections. Meridian’s diagnostic products are used outside of the human body and require little or no special equipment. The Company’s products are designed to enhance patient well-being while reducing the total outcome costs of healthcare. Meridian has strong market positions in the areas of gastrointestinal and upper respiratory infections, serology, parasitology and fungal disease diagnosis. In addition, Meridian is a supplier of rare reagents, specialty biologicals and related technologies used by biopharmaceutical companies engaged in research for new drugs and vaccines. The Company markets its products and technologies to hospitals, reference laboratories, research centers, veterinary testing centers, diagnostics manufacturers and biotech companies in more than 60 countries around the world. The Company’s shares are traded through NASDAQ’s Global Select Market, symbol VIVO. Meridian’s website address is www.meridianbioscience.com.