Dual Target HIV-1 Assay

Rapidly mutating HIV-1 virus can continue to evade quantification with a single target viral load assay.

The innovative dual target HIV-1 assay from Roche Molecular Diagnostics measures two unique regions of the HIV-1 genome, which are not subject to selective drug pressure. Therefore drug-induced mutations should not impact the assay’s ability to detect and quantify the virus accurately.

In turn, more accurate results drive better decisions for a positive impact on patients’ lives.

Right targets, right reasons

All tests are not created equal

  • Selective drug pressure on a drug target can cause underquantification for any single target assay. Potentially compromising treatment efficacy
  • Targeting two non-drug target regions improves genotype inclusivity, detects HIV-1 variants and potentially avoids under quantification
  • Amplification of a less ideal target region(s) might explain discrepancies observed in the literature
  • The Aptima HIV-1 Quant Assay has dual-target amplification and detection systems, targeting pol and LTR independently. The result reported by the system will be based on the primary system, pol, unless pol is not amplified. In these cases, the system will report the result from the secondary system, LTR.
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References
  1. Reference Drug Manufacturer Package Inserts.
  2. DHHS Guidelines for the Use of Antiretroviral Agents in HIV-1-Infected Adults and Adolescents. Last Updated July 14, 2016. https://aidsinfo.nih.gov/contentfiles/lvguidelines/adultandadolescentgl.pdf. Accessed 2/1/2017.
  3. J Virol Methods. Damond F et al. (2010).