Antech study says Accuplex beat IDEXX's SNAP test on Ehrlichia
Antech said on October 15th, 2026 that a JAVMA study found its Accuplex reference lab test caught 94% of Ehrlichia-positive dog samples, against 58% for IDEXX's SNAP 4Dx Plus. The comparison used 309 samples, and five of the seven authors work for Antech.
Antech said on October 15th, 2026 that a new JAVMA study found its Accuplex test caught 94% of Ehrlichia-positive dog samples, against 58% for IDEXX's SNAP 4Dx Plus. It is a head-to-head claim against IDEXX's in-clinic tick and heartworm screen.
Accuplex's edge over SNAP shows up on Ehrlichia
The paper, published online ahead of print on October 14th, compared both tests with indirect fluorescent antibody testing, the reference method, on serum from U.S. dogs sent to a commercial lab between July 2023 and September 2024. On Ehrlichia, Accuplex picked up 94% of positives and SNAP 58% (P<.001), according to Antech.
Anaplasma was a draw. Both tests topped 90% sensitivity, and the abstract reports no significant difference between them. Both also cleared 95% specificity, so neither threw off many false positives.
The Ehrlichia comparison rests on 309 samples, and the Anaplasma one on 310, per the JAVMA abstract. Five of the seven authors work for Antech, which is part of Mars. The other two work at Colorado State University and the University of Texas Medical Branch.
"Tick-borne disease isn't standing still, so our diagnostics can't either," said Jimmy Barr, Antech's chief medical officer.
The study pits a send-out panel against an exam-room test
The two products sit at different points in a clinic's day. Accuplex is a reference lab test, so the sample ships out. SNAP 4Dx Plus is one of IDEXX's in-house tests, run at the practice.
Antech says Accuplex screens for seven markers: antibodies to three Ehrlichia species, two Anaplasma species and Lyme, plus heartworm antigen.
Its Accuplex product page pitches adding the panel to routine wellness profiles, which is where most dogs get their yearly heartworm and tick screen.
Wellness screens are a fight over recurring volume
Tick and heartworm screens repeat every year for every dog, which makes them steady consumable revenue. In the market report we covered in May, consumables made up 88% of point-of-care diagnostics revenue.
Antech also sits inside a larger Mars stack that includes Banfield and VCA clinics, as we laid out when Mars built its periodontal model. For practice owners, the choice now comes with peer-reviewed numbers on one side: a faster answer in the room, or a broader panel that, in this paper, caught more Ehrlichia exposure.
Source: Antech via Business Wire
Other News
More stories shaping the pet industry this week. From funding rounds and product launches to regulatory shifts and retail strategy, stay ahead of what's driving the market.
PetLabCo puts four dog supplements in all 1,500+ PetSmart stores
PetLabCo said on October 27th, 2026 that its probiotic, dental powder, joint and allergy supplements for dogs are now on shelves at all 1,500+ PetSmart stores. The brand says it has sold more than 11 million tubs of its Probiotic Chew in the US. PetSmart.com lists a 30-count PetLab Co. probiotic chew at $37.99.
Doubtless says 75% of pet owners would pass on a home that bars their pet
Doubtless said on October 27th, 2026 that 75% of pet owners in a Spot Pet Insurance survey would walk away from an otherwise ideal property that barred their pet. Its Q3 Pet Parent Insights also cite Embrace claims data and Pumpkin preventive care costs.
Affordable Pet Labs opens a 1,500-sample study of a needle-free heartworm test
Affordable Pet Labs is enrolling dogs in 52 cities for a validation study of a patent-pending heartworm test that needs no blood draw. The company expects more than 1,500 samples and says the test is not for sale yet.