Qiagen Rolls Out HPV Test for Low-Resource Settings in India

Qiagen has launched its careHPV Test in India — the only molecular diagnostic for high-risk human papillomavirus designed to screen women in settings with limited healthcare infrastructure.

The careHPV Test has color-coded, easy-to-read menus and self-contained reagents. In addition to providing fast results, it can weather the temperature variations typical of rural clinics without refrigeration for sample storage due to limited electricity or water, the Dutch devicemaker says.

The new test is highly complementary to QIAGEN’s digene HC2 HPV Test, which is widely used in developed countries and in large cities in emerging markets. Together the two tests help to expand Qiagen’s role as the global leader in cervical cancer screening, Victor Shu, president of Qiagen Asia Pacific, said.

About 72,000 women in India die of cervical cancer each year, more than one-fourth of the world’s 270,000 annual deaths, according to Qiagen.

The careHPV Test was launched commercially in China in 2013 and has been used in several other countries including El Salvador and Pacific islands nation of Vanuatu, the devicemaker said. — Nick Otto

Subscribe to Devices & Diagnostics Letter for complete coverage of the medical devices industry. Click here for more information.