Study Finds New Version of QIAGEN's HPV Test for Developing Countries Could Reduce Risk of Cervical Cancer by More than Half When Combined With Appropriate...(ry challenging settings. What is remarka...),Health

Date:11/7/2007

ry challenging settings. What is remarkable is that while the FastHPV test uses very advanced molecular diagnostic technologies, it is packaged into a solution that can be run in almost any environment and by almost any operator. QIAGEN is already the leader in molecular diagnostics in the developed world, and we take very seriously our commitment to make improvements in life possible for everyone, no matter what their socioeconomic status."

The FastHPV test can be conducted by workers with minimal healthcare training and education. Once collected, samples of vaginal or cervical cells are prepared for analysis using a kit of reagents that contains its own water supply. The kit's stability has been demonstrated for more than eight months at room temperature, and conditions as extreme as 104 degrees F. -- 40 degrees C. -- can be tolerated for up to a month. The testing itself is conducted on easily portable equipment and will, when introduced, run on batteries.

Human papillomavirus is the primary cause of cervical cancer, which affects nearly 500,000 women around the world every year and kills more than 250,000 -- of which 80 percent are in developing countries. The High-Risk hc2 HPV DNA Test(R) developed by Digene Corp. (now part of QIAGEN) is emerging as a standard of care for identifying women at risk. In the United States, HPV testing has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for use along with cytology (commonly called the Pap smear) in women 30 and over. However, the infrastructure (such as clean water and electricity) and trained personnel required for Pap smears are not usually feasible for low-resource regions.

In addition, in these regions, transportation and other obstacles prevent easy access to medical clinics, necessitating rapid availability of test results so that follow-up care -- if needed -- can be initiated quickly, ideally the same day. FastHPV has been designed to be used as a stand-alone diagnostic test to scre
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SOURCE QIAGEN N.V. Copyright©2007 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

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