Lab21 will be the first commercial reference laboratory in the UK to provide a companion diagnostic service for the HIV drug, Celsentri, which is marketed by ViiV Healthcare who are currently supporting the provision of this genotypic tropism testing to the UK NHS.
Lab21 will offer the HIV service from its UK operation with immediate effect and will be able to receive samples from all parts of the world. In the longer term the company also plans to offer the test as part of its comprehensive HIV service at its US facility in Greenville, South Carolina.
The HIV diagnostic is a genotypic test which determines the sequence of a specific region of the virus, the V3 loop. This information helps to determine the specific cell type the strain of HIV will infect and replicate. As individual drugs are only effective against specific strains of HIV, this allows clinicians to identify the most effective treatment, improving patient care, and reducing costs
Dr Berwyn Clarke, CSO of Lab21 commented: “This new technology has been developed in the HIV field over the past few years and we have now introduced the protocols into the Lab21 service labs to provide a fully validated, fast turnaround assay. The addition of this service to Lab21’s portfolio means that we can offer a fully comprehensive menu of tests for HIV clinicians to use including viral load and resistance analysis, CD4 counts and serology”.
For further information:
Lab21 Graham Mullis, CEO Michael Bolick, President, Lab21 Inc Dr Berwyn Clarke, CSDO t: +44 (0)1223 395461 e: graham.mullis@lab-21.com michael.bolick@lab21.com berwyn.clarke@lab21.com
For media and investor enquiries: College Hill Tony Stephenson/Nicole Yost t: +44 (0)20 7866 7864 m: +44 (0)7989 855113 e: tony.stephenson@collegehill.com
About Lab21
Lab21 is a global provider of state-of-the-art diagnostic products and services, supporting blood bank screening, medical diagnostics and drug discovery. Its customers include international healthcare providers, pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.
The product division of the Company manufactures immunodiagnostic kits and reagents that are distributed into 110 international countries and is focused on infectious diseases for the blood-banking market.
The service division has a growing test portfolio providing companion diagnostics and high technology molecular assays for the growing integration of personalised medicine into healthcare. These services are currently in infectious diseases, oncology and pharmacogenetics areas with emerging interests in cardiovascular and metabolic disease.
Lab21's clinical reference laboratory and corporate office is based in Cambridge and has additional UK sites in Newmarket, Bridport, Liverpool and Ipswich. It also has operations in South Carolina, USA. The Company's investors include Merlin Biosciences, Nexus Medical Partners, Medicis Capital, Rowan Dartington and Kreos Capital.
Website: www.lab21.com
