Blood Screening Assay Approved in China and Brazil

An assay used in markets around the globe to screen donated blood for human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) Type 1 and Hepatitis viruses types B and C, has been granted approval for use in China and Brazil.

Sensitivity combined with the fully integrated and automated Procleix Ultrio assay, which is run on the TIGRIS platform, simplifies workflow and improves efficiency in the lab, a critical component to ensure testing and results are completed on time.

Novartis Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland) launched the Procleix Ultrio assay and the Procleix TIGRIS platform in China at the Chinese Society of Blood Transfusion (CSBT) meeting, which took place on November 4-6, 2010, in Chengdu, China. In Brazil, Novartis featured the Procleix Ultrio assay and the Procleix TIGRIS platform during the HEMO-Brazil meeting, which took place November 5-8, 2010, in Brasilia.

The company is working closely with blood centers in China and Brazil to introduce Ultrio and TIGRIS and help add an additional layer of blood safety to the blood screening process. In China, Novartis Diagnostics is collaborating with the Ministry of Health as part of the 2010 China nucleic acid testing (NAT) pilot program, sharing knowledge and best practices with blood centers using the Procleix Ultrio and TIGRIS systems to test NAT in their blood centers.

Blood screening centers in China and Brazil currently receive 10 million and 4.3 million annual blood donations, respectively. Blood centers in both countries are incorporating additional layers of protection to the blood screening process to increase the safety of the blood supply from donor to patient.

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