Blood-screening product given US approval

A test which could help to prevent the spread of disease via blood transfusions has been approved for use in the US.

The cobas TaqScreen MPX Test, which is manufactured by pharmaceutical giant Roche, is able to screen blood for hepatitis B DNA, hepatitis C RNA and HIV-1 Group M RNA.

Designed to work with the real-time PCR cobas s 201 system, the qualitative in vitro test is intended to increase the safety of donated blood rather than act as a diagnostic tool.

Roche claims it is capable of identifying infections at a much earlier stage than many of the tests currently in use.

This could help to cut the number of transfusion-related infections, which usually originate from people who were unaware they were infected when they gave blood.

UNAids estimates that around 1.2 million people in the US are living with HIV, making it one of the countries with the biggest HIV problems.

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