HIV Combo Assay Provides Quick, Reliable Results

An innovative new HIV combination assay delivers accurate, reliable results more quickly, up to several days earlier than other currently available assays.

Siemens Healthcare of Siemens AG (Munich, Germany) now offers the “Enzygnost HIV Integral 4 Assay¹,” an HIV test mainly intended for use in blood banks or laboratories, enabling clinicians to identify HIV infection earlier and improve patient care. It is available² on the Siemens laboratory systems Quadriga BeFree and BEP. This assay is an HIV combination (“HIV Combo”) test, detecting both the HIV p24 antigen and HIV antibodies, and becoming the standard screening technique used in many European Union countries.

The development of the new HIV assay is an example of the company’s innovative power, one of the goals of “Agenda 2013”, an initiative of the Siemens Healthcare Sector in which specific implementation measures have been defined in four fields of action: innovation, competitiveness, regional footprint, and people development. The Enzygnost HIV Integral 4 assay delivers both excellent specificity and sensitivity. In a study of 14,169 donor samples tested at three different blood banks, initial specificity was demonstrated at 99.94%. Data also show that this assay has higher sensitivity and provides superior seroconversion performance (quicker prevalence of the antibody) compared to other currently available assays, detecting HIV infection up to 14 days earlier.

“Reliable and accurate testing technologies are critical to supporting HIV infection control and optimal patient management,” said Stefan Wolf, CEO, Hemostasis, Hematology and Specialty Business Unit, Siemens Healthcare, Diagnostics Division; "The increased sensitivity of the HIV Integral 4 assay enables clinicians to detect disease and initiate treatment earlier, and its high specificity provides our blood bank customers with confidence that the results are precise, enhancing the accuracy of their donor screening programs.”

¹This product is not commercially available in all countries (e.g., not available for sale in the USA). Due to regulatory reasons, their future availability cannot be guaranteed. Details are available from local Siemens organizations.
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