Omega Diagnostics Gets First Orders For Visitect CD4 HIV Test

LONDON (Alliance News) - Omega Diagnostics Group PLC said it has received the first purchase orders for its Visitect CD4 350 cut-off test for HIV.

This form of HIV test determines whether a patient has a CD4 count above or below 350 cells per cubic millimetre of blood. CD4 cells are a type of white blood cell and form a key part of the immune system.

A CD4 count over 500 usually suggests good health in HIV patients, while a count below 200 indicates a weakened immune system.

Distributors who bought the test will supply it in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and Moldova. Orders are currently low, which Omega had expected, while distributors "seed their private business-to-business market channels in the initial stages".

At present, Omega sees Nigeria as being the largest single market for this particular test type, and is awaiting a first order from the country once a performance evaluation is complete. The National Health Research Ethics Committee of Nigeria has already given approval for the test.

In addition, Omega has achieved two milestones for its Visitect CD4 Advanced Disease test, completing all internal verification studies by its development team and also completing an external performance evaluation based on blood samples.

The advanced disease test has a lower cut-off at 200 CD4 cells per cubic millimetre of blood, the same level at which an HIV-infected person's immune system is weakened enough that they are at risk of other diseases.

Omega Chief Executive Colin King said: "We are pleased to have commercialised our Visitect CD4 350 cut-off test in the current financial year and I remain confident with both the near term opportunity in Nigeria and the fact our team has shown they can take a developed product through complex registration processes to commercialisation.

"In addition, the Advanced test continues to track against our timeline, which further demonstrates the significant improvements in our ability to deliver against our promises. This all bodes well for delivering meaningful revenues for CD4 in the next financial year."

Shares in Omega Diagnostics were down 1.5% at 13.05 pence on Wednesday afternoon.