The National Advertising Division has rejected assertions that Antech Diagnostics’ AccuPlex4 screening test is superior to Idexx Laboratories’ SNAP 4Dx Plus. The advertising industry’s self-regulating arm in July recommended that Antech Diagnostics discontinue certain claims. The Irvine, Calif., company, which operates more than 50 veterinary reference laboratories, responded that it was “extremely disappointed” with the findings and would modify its advertising. AccuPlex4 and SNAP 4Dx Plus each test for heartworm and the pathogens that cause Lyme disease, ehrlichiosis and anaplasmosis. Idexx, headquartered in Westbrook, Maine, challenged these claims: Tests prove that AccuPlex4 provides significantly more accurate and sensitive testing of low-worm burden heartworm infection than SNAP 4Dx Plus, with the ability to detect positive results up to one week earlier. Tests prove that AccuPlex4 permits substantially earlier and more sensitive detection of Lyme disease, anaplasmosis and ehrlichiosis, with fewer false negatives, than SNAP 4Dx Plus. Tests prove that AccuPlex4’s Lyme disease test detects infection earlier and provides broader disease information than Idexx’s SNAP 4Dx Plus and stand-alone Quant C6 test, and can distinguish between false positive and exposure/infection. Unlike AccuPlex4, the Quant C6 Lyme disease test is not a quantitative test, cannot measure antibody response and can be used only to detect chronic or late-stage Lyme infections. Antech “submitted no head-to-head product performance data comparing its multiplex diagnostic product” to the SNAP 4Dx Plus or Quant C6, the National Advertising Division stated. “Rather, the advertiser drew its support from, among other things, cross-trial comparisons to studies that examined the performance of Idexx stand-alone tests or studies which assessed the performance of the SNAP 4Dx, a predecessor product to the challenger’s SNAP 4Dx Plus,” the advertising watchdog added. Antech declined to appeal the ruling and stated that the company would consider the National Advertising Division’s concerns in any future advertising. An Idexx representative could not be reached to comment.
