Roche gets U.S. approval for HIV testing equipment

[September 01, 2020]  ZURICH (Reuters) - Roche has received approval from the United States Food and Drug Administration for its Cobas qualitative testing systems to confirm HIV diagnosis, the Swiss pharmaceuticals company said on Tuesday.

The system can also differentiate between HIV-1 and HIV-2 in the same test, which can help doctors identify the best treatment, Roche said.

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is categorized into HIV-1 - the most common type - and HIV-2, with both forms capable of causing acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).

While HIV-2 had largely been confined to persons in or from West Africa, it was on the rise in the United States due to immigration, Roche said.

(Reporting by John Revill; editing by Brenna Hughes Neghaiwi)

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