SINGAPORE, Dec 1 (AFP) - A Singapore biotechnology firm on Thursday unveiled a diagnostic oral test kit that can detect the HIV virus in 20 minutes, the first time that the product has been made available in Asia since its launch in the United States last year.
Rockeby Biomed said it had reached an agreement with OraSure Technologies, the US developer of OraQuick HIV 1/2 Antibody test kit, in Singapore.
The test kit works by detecting antibodies to the HIV virus through oral fluids and results are known within 20 minutes, the company said.
"This technology will greatly facilitate HIV testing and may well prove to be a decisive turning point in the battle to control AIDS," said Sze Wee Tan, managing director and chief executive of Rockeby.
"The availability of an accurate test will increase the number of people who can be put on the appropriate medication earlier, thus delaying the onset of AIDS," he said.
Rockeby, which is listed in Australia, last month launched a rapid diagnostic test kit for detecting avian flu in birds within 10 minutes.
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