- Differentiates between HIV-1 and HIV-2 infections to confidently treat patients based on HIV subtype infection
- Significant reduction in time to detection is critical in curbing further disease transmission
- Access to testing in rural areas through validated dried blood spot (DBS) collection card
Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced today the expansion of the Global Access Program to include the cobas® HIV-1/HIV-2 for use on the fully automated cobas® 6800/8800 Systems. The test provides healthcare professionals with the ability to differentiate HIV-1 from HIV-2. HIV-2 infections should be differentiated from HIV-1 infections because of the different clinical management. This test allows providers flexible PCR testing with plasma, serum, and dried blood spot collection card sample types to improve treatment options based on subtype infections in the most rural settings.
Roche, in partnership with the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS), the Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), UNITAID, the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan For AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) and the Global Fund to fight AIDS, TB and Malaria, has been working to provide actionable solutions towards achieving the 90-90-90 goal set forth by UNAIDS (90 percent of all people living with HIV will know their HIV status; 90 percent of all people with diagnosed HIV infection will receive sustained antiretroviral therapy; 90 percent of all people receiving antiretroviral therapy will have durable viral suppression).
Roche is committed to improving HIV diagnostic technologies to help contribute towards the fight against HIV/AIDS,
said Uwe Oberlaender, head of Roche Molecular Diagnostics.
This test will enable more accurate diagnosis of subtype infection and thus greatly advance controlling transmission, scaling up access to relevant diagnostics, and eradicating the HIV/AIDS epidemic.
Studies show as many as 50% of new infections are estimated to be transmitted during the acute period between 3 days to 3 weeks of infection1. Current testing methods, which rely on the ability to detect an antibody response, can leave an infected person undiagnosed between two and four weeks. Because of the greater sensitivity of PCR technology over serology methods, nucleic acid amplification tests (NAT), like the cobas HIV-1/HIV-2 test, can reduce this period by up to one week. This significant reduction in time to detection is critical in curbing further disease transmission.