Companion Diagnostics for Precision Medicine in Oncology

HIV: The Advantages of Early Detection, a worldwide perspective: According to the UNAIDS Together We Will End AIDS report (2012), an estimated 3.4 million children under 15 years worldwide were living with HIV/AIDS. WHO guidelines state that all infants younger than 1 year of age should receive antiretroviral therapy (ART). The importance of early identification of HIV infection is reflected in the 40% mortality rate within the first 12 months of prenatally infected infants that do not receive ART. In a randomized study of prenatally infected infants, ART initiated prior to 2 months of age reduced mortality by 76%, supporting the efficacy of early ART. CNBC Published on Mar 04, 2013: “HIV Can be potentially curable in very early treatment with standard HIV drugs”.

Standard antibody tests require waiting until infants are 18 months old before diagnosing HIV infection, as antibody tests cannot give an accurate diagnosis until the mother’s antibodies are no longer present in the infant’s blood. In contrast, detection of HIV is possible directly following the birth of a child by utilizing PCR to amplify HIV DNA or RNA from blood samples. Samples of blood collected on filter paper, or dried blood spots (DBS) from a heel stick provide a fast, efficient, and low cost means to transport samples for HIV detection.

During the waiting period, many infants die or become orphaned and do not return to the clinic for care. As a result, 50% of untreated HIV-positive infants die before their second birthday.

HIV-1 Real Time PCR kit’s accurate detection allows for HIV diagnosis as early as six weeks of age, offering a more timely diagnosis of HIV and quicker access to lifesaving treatment for infected infants.