Abbott has introduced FDA-approved hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotyping test for patients in the US.
The completely automated RealTime HCV Genotype II test determines the specific type or strain of the HCV virus present in the blood of an HCV-infected individual.
Genotyping the HCV virus offers physicians with vital information they can use to create a personalized, targeted diagnosis and treatment path to improve clinical outcomes.
University of California San Francisco Global Health division Medicine clinical professor, HIV and viral hepatitis expert Carol Brosgart said Hepatitis C is known as the silent killer as many of the symptoms go unnoticed.
"When patients are identified, determining their specific genotype is important to ensuring they receive the treatment that will prove to be most effective," Brosgart added.
Abbott Molecular Diagnostics vice president John Coulter said, "The Abbott RealTime HCV Genotype II test adds yet another test to the Abbott portfolio for a full spectrum of hepatitis C testing -- from ensuring blood supply safety and providing initial screening to enabling targeted diagnoses, identification of the right treatments, and the monitoring of response to therapies."
