Bio-Rad Laboratories, a multinational manufacturer and distributor of life science research products and clinical diagnostics, will launch a new test kit for HIV and Hepatatis-C virus (HCV) in India by November. |
Talking to Business Standard, Dhiren Wagle, country manager of Bio-Rad Laboratories, said, "We will launch test kits for HIV and HCV in the Indian market by November." |
The company will announce its launch at the international conference of Indian Society of Blood Transfusion & Immunohoemotology that will be held in Ahmedabad in November. Both the test kits are manufactured at Bio-Rad, France, in association with Pasture Institute of France. |
HIV and HCV fall under the sensitive categories of disease that require faster detection but is not currently available in the market. |
At present, it takes approximately 25 days for detection of both antigen and antibody in HIV and HCV. This will be reduced to only eight to ten days, said Wagle. |
"The HIV and HCV test kits will be marketed under the brand name GenScreen HIV Combo Ag/AB and HbSAg Antigen Ultra, respectively. The HIV test kit will be able to detect antibody as well as antigen while the HCV test kit will only detect antigen," he said. |
The quicker detection of both antigen and antibody for HIV and HCV is expected to help a blood bank doctor provide safer blood for transfusion and aid those who are suspected of being infected with the diseases. |
Wagle said, "The blood screening market is approximately $9 million in India, of which HIV and HCV testing market is approximately $3.5 million and $2.6 million in India." |
Recently, the company launched an advanced test kit for dengue fever under the brand name 'Platelia Dengue NS1 Ag Assay'. |