The Svar functional complement assays under the Wieslab® brand were developed together with a network of global key opinion leaders (KOLs) in 2005 and have since been used to answer the need for an easy to use method of detecting complement deficiencies and to explore the effect of complement targeting drugs.
For many years complement testing was only performed at specialized laboratories with in-house hemolytic assays but the Wieslab® functional complement assays provided an easy to use ELISA enabling more laboratories to perform these tests.
Building on the legacy of the Wieslab® assays, Svar has continued to develop complement-related assays. With the novel functional Factor P assay, Svar enables in-depth study of Properdin and the AP amplification loop, essential for the complement response.
Complement targeting drugs can be evaluated by the Wieslab® functional complement assays, for efficacy and potency determination, which has been shown in several scientific papers as well as presented at complement conferences. Scientific papers also suggest an application for the functional assays in monitoring complement drugs during clinical trials.
The format of the assays can be used with a wide variety of open systems, individual research protocols and automation. This has made the Wieslab® Complement assays much-appreciated by the biotech and pharma industry.
The Alternative Pathway amplification loop is central to the essential amplification of complement response. The novel, Svar Factor P functional assay has been developed to enable analysis of the complement up-regulator, Properdin, and associated C3-convertase function. Learn more about our new Factor P assays.
The Svar complement functional assay solution is an ELISA based platform that enables determination of specific activity of all three pathways separately without interference from the others.
The well established ELISA technology means a robust and standardized assay platform, delivering fast, reliable and objective, easy to interpret results within as little as 3 hours.
Functional complement assays were developed to find patients suffering from complement deficiency. Today these assays are also widely used in drug development of new complement targeting drugs.
Deficiencies in complement proteins and their regulatory molecules have been described in a variety of diseases, such as recurrent infections, autoimmune and renal diseases. Screening for complement defects with a functional assay is therefore of great importance.
Help diagnose the cause of recurrent microbial infections (such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Neisseria meningitides, Neisseria gonorrhea), angioedema, or inflammation
Help diagnose and monitor the activity and treatment of autoimmune diseases and immune complex-related conditions
Evaluate new complement-targeted therapies (whether the aim is to inhibit or enhance complement functionality), determine efficacy and potency of complement-targeted drugs
An increasing number of pharma companies are focusing on developing drugs that regulate the complement system at different levels and the research field is growing each year in areas where complement is suspected to be of pathological concern, raising the need of treatment options within the complement field.
Dysregulation of the complement system is known today to be an important piece in several diseases from autoimmune disease and sepsis to neurodegenerative disorders and graft rejection.