We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress hp
Sign In
Advertise with Us

CEPHEID

Develops, manufactures, and markets molecular systems and tests for institutions to perform sophisticated genetic tes... read more Featured Products: More products

Download Mobile App




First POC Hepatitis C RNA Test Enables Single-Visit Testing and Treatment

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 28 Jun 2024

Hepatitis C, a liver infection caused by the hepatitis C virus (HCV), spreads through contact with the blood of an infected person. More...

While some individuals may experience a short-term illness, over half of those infected develop a chronic, long-term condition. In the United States, it is estimated that between 2.4 and 4 million people are living with hepatitis C. If untreated, the virus can lead to severe health issues, including liver cancer and liver failure. Until now, HCV testing has involved multiple steps, requiring patients to return for results and further tests, often resulting in missed diagnoses and treatment. Now, a breakthrough has been made with the introduction of the first point-of-care HCV test, which facilitates testing and treatment in a single visit for those at risk.

Developed by Cepheid (Sunnyvale, CA, USA), the Xpert HCV test eliminates the need to send samples to a central lab and can detect HCV RNA from a fingertip blood sample, delivering results within approximately one hour. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has granted marketing authorization for the use of the Xpert HCV test alongside the GeneXpert Xpress System. This test is authorized for use in various settings under a CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) Certificate of Waiver, including substance use disorder treatment centers, correctional facilities, syringe service programs, physician's offices, emergency departments, and urgent care clinics. This significant development supports a test-and-treat approach, allowing individuals to be tested and, if they test positive for HCV RNA, to be connected to care and potentially begin treatment during the same healthcare visit.

"Despite the existence of a safe and highly effective oral cure for hepatitis C, many people do not know they have the disease due partly to the lack of availability of convenient, widespread testing options," said Jeff Shuren, M.D., J.D., director of the FDA's Center for Devices and Radiological Health. "Equipping health care providers with tools to diagnose and treat patients in the same visit can result in hundreds of thousands more hepatitis C patients being diagnosed and treated, preventing individual disease progression and additional spread of the virus."


Gold Member
Flocked Fiber Swabs
Puritan® Patented HydraFlock®
POC Helicobacter Pylori Test Kit
Hepy Urease Test
New
ESR Analyzer
TEST1 2.0
New
Silver Member
Rapid Test Reader
DIA5000
Read the full article by registering today, it's FREE! It's Free!
Register now for FREE to LabMedica.com and get access to news and events that shape the world of Clinical Laboratory Medicine.
  • Free digital version edition of LabMedica International sent by email on regular basis
  • Free print version of LabMedica International magazine (available only outside USA and Canada).
  • Free and unlimited access to back issues of LabMedica International in digital format
  • Free LabMedica International Newsletter sent every week containing the latest news
  • Free breaking news sent via email
  • Free access to Events Calendar
  • Free access to LinkXpress new product services
  • REGISTRATION IS FREE AND EASY!
Click here to Register








Channels

Hematology

view channel
Image: New research points to protecting blood during radiation therapy (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

Pioneering Model Measures Radiation Exposure in Blood for Precise Cancer Treatments

Scientists have long focused on protecting organs near tumors during radiotherapy, but blood — a vital, circulating tissue — has largely been excluded from dose calculations. Each blood cell passing through... Read more

Immunology

view channel
Image: The test could streamline clinical decision-making by identifying ideal candidates for immunotherapy upfront (Xiao, Y. et al. Cancer Biology & Medicine July 2025, 20250038)

Blood Test Predicts Immunotherapy Efficacy in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive subtype lacking targeted therapies, making immunotherapy a promising yet unpredictable option. Current biomarkers such as PD-L1 expression or tumor... Read more

Microbiology

view channel
Image: New diagnostics could predict a woman’s risk of a common sexually transmitted infection (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

New Markers Could Predict Risk of Severe Chlamydia Infection

Chlamydia trachomatis is a common sexually transmitted infection that can cause pelvic inflammatory disease, infertility, and other reproductive complications when it spreads to the upper genital tract.... Read more

Technology

view channel
Image: The sensor can help diagnose diabetes and prediabetes on-site in a few minutes using just a breath sample (Photo courtesy of Larry Cheng/Penn State)

Graphene-Based Sensor Uses Breath Sample to Identify Diabetes and Prediabetes in Minutes

About 37 million U.S. adults live with diabetes, and one in five is unaware of their condition. Diagnosing diabetes often requires blood draws or lab visits, which are costly and inconvenient.... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2025 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.