A new test funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and developed in collaboration with a commercial partner has become the first test approved by the Food and Drug Administration for detecting antibodies to anthrax. The test, produced by Immunetics Inc. of Boston, provides an easy-to-use clinical laboratory tool for assessing whether patients have been infected with anthrax. The Anthrax Quick ELISA test, which was recently approved by the Food and Drug Administration, detects antibodies produced during infection with Bacillus anthracis – the bacteria that causes anthrax. The approval shows how cooperative work between government agencies and industry can lead to the development of diagnostic tests for biothreat agents and emerging infectious diseases. Full Story