SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO (dpa-AFX) - Roche Holding AG(RHHBY), a Swiss healthcare major, said on Monday that it has launched Elecsys HCV Duo immunoassay to improve hepatitis screening.
Elecsys HCV Duo is the first available immunoassay, a biochemical test that helps to determine the hepatitis C virus (HCV) antigen and antibody status from a single human plasma or serum sample.
The dual antigen and antibody diagnostic test can be used to detect the early stage of infection, as well as when the patient is recovering from the virus. The test can also help identify the signs of a chronic infection that may lead to other diseases, such as liver cancer.
The new test procedure is expected to reduce the number of clinic visits of the patients and a burden on healthcare systems.
In 2019, 58 million people suffered from chronic HCV infection, but only 21 percent were aware of the infection. Also, 290,000 people lost their lives due to hepatitis C-related issues, like cirrhosis and liver cancer, more than as a result of HIV or malaria.
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