Genedrive v OraSure10 Oct 2017 11:00
I found the following email from Genedrive reassuring:
‘You are correct that there are several rapid antibody tests available for HCV currently, including the OraSure HCV test. However, these tests are only viable for screening as have variable performance, in particular with patients with coinfections such as HIV. WHO guidelines advise that treatment decisions can only be based on the results of a molecular test either qualitative or quantitative meaning a positive test from a test such as these requires confirmation from molecular testing. All current molecular tests on the market require large, expensive equipment and are therefore only performed on centralised laboratories. These tests are also very cost prohibitive as require a large upfront instrument cost and continual running costs.
Genedrive HCV ID kit is a qualitative molecular assay, that does not require centralised instrumentation. It is single throughout and can be used by decentralised laboratories or clinics. It doesn’t require any large upfront cost or ongoing maintenance costs making it an affordable option for decentralised testing.’