“The Treatment Action Group (TAG) and the Global TB Community Advisory Board (TBCAB) sent letters to manufacturers of Quantiferon TB Gold and Immucheck TB Platinum expressing concerns that their tests, blood-based interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs) indicated only for latent TB infection detection, are misleadingly marketed in India as tests for active TB,” the Center for Global Health Policy’s “Science Speaks” blog reports. “IGRAs blood tests do not differentiate between active pulmonary TB disease and latent TB infection, resulting in many patients being misdiagnosed as being infected with active TB and undergoing unnecessary treatment, while leaving those actually infected with active TB undiagnosed,” the blog notes. “In a letter to Immunoshop, which produces TB Platinum, TAG and TBCAB pointed out that the marketing of the product is blatantly misleading and inconsistent with WHO and Indian policy, with advertisements claiming ‘Immucheck TB Platinum — The IGRA test method will be a boon for detection of active TB and LTBI [latent TB infection] and thus for containment of its transmission!!!!!'” The blog adds, “In a letter to Dutch manufacturer Qiagen, which markets TB Gold as an active TB test in India, the groups cited concern about the test being used to diagnose active TB in private clinics in South Africa as well” (Aziz, 7/12).