New Point-of-Care System for HIV/AIDS CD4 monitoring launched in India

New Delhi, February 19, 2015 – BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), today announced the launch of the BD FACSPresto™, a Near Patient CD4 monitoring system that provides absolute and percentage results of CD4 T lymphocytes and hemoglobin (Hb) concentration in whole blood samples. Weighing less than 7kgs, BD FACSPresto™ is capable of testing samples from a single drop of capillary or venous blood and can work for 6 hours using in-built rechargeable battery, enabling testing even in remote settings.

National AIDA Research Institute (NARI), Pune conducted a product evaluation study on the new Near Patient CD4 Counter system on close to 150 samples and have claimed the accuracy of the tests after conducting a systematic study. Spokesperson at National AIDS Research Institute (NARI), Pune said, “It was found that the accuracy and precision levels of BD FACSPresto™ was equivalent to the current Gold standard.”

CD4 testing allows HIV/AIDS patients to have access to treatment and monitoring, reducing the probability of transmitting the infection to others and providing a plan for improved long-term care. Immediate treatment for infected individuals who meet medical guidelines can dramatically quell the spread of HIV according to the World Health Organization (WHO). This is particularly important as many new cases of HIV/AIDS are transmitted from people who are not aware they are infected.[i],[ii]

“The BD FACSPresto system expands the ability to stage and monitor HIV/AIDS patients close to their homes,” said Varun Khanna, Managing Director-BD India. “With the launch of FACS Presto in India, we are confident this system will meet the needs of resource-limited settings in high prevalence states like Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and North East states without compromising the standards of precision and assuring operators and patients a high degree of confidence in results.”

Prevalence of HIV in India is an estimated 2.1 million positives, out of which a total of close to 850,000 people are under the CD4 monitoring program. Close to 90% of the people are treated by the National program- NACO and the rest is catered by the private sector. Currently the HIV positives all across the country have to reach a central Hospital or lab or ART center for drugs and getting their CD4 count checked. This becomes a hindrance sometimes as they have to travel long distances, and patients are lost to follow-up.

A point of care solution is a device which can be near to the patient, can increase access of treatment / CD4 monitoring and does not require skilled resources or infrastructure to operate or maintain and give reliable results quickly.