LabNow joins the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS
January 16, 2005LabNow, Inc. a Texas based point-of-care diagnostics company has joined the Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GBC), the pre-eminent organization leading the business fight against AIDS,.
According to an official with the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR), "The roll out of ARV treatment where HIV/AIDS patients exist is grossly affected by the inability of the providers to access CD4 counts." The importance of accessible CD4 counts has been the focal point for LabNow's product development and their goal of providing accessible and affordable diagnostics for all HIV/AIDS patients. LabNow is optimistic that their product will provide this missing link to the many anti-retroviral programs as they continue to roll out treatment to those in need.
The patented LabNow's system, a BioChip and an analyzer, is battery operated and small enough to fit in a backpack making it portable and available for use in resource scarce settings. Using a disposable "lab on a chip", the CD4Biochip blood test can be performed simply in two steps using a fingerstick drop of blood with rapid results (less than 10 minutes).
With this breakthrough technology, the developed LabNow Analyzer and CD4Biochip, will enable clinicians to determine rapidly and accurately at the point-of-care when anti-viral therapies are needed for their patients, and whether the medications are leading to health improvements. The test could be used in traditional health care settings, rural clinics, or in mobile units in developing countries.
The availability of the CD4BioChip in developing countries combined with the already available rapid HIV tests will allow rapid testing sites and rural healthcare clinics the ability to test a person for HIV and if positive, stage their immune system to determine their immediate need for therapy all at the same time, a "one-stop shopping solution".
"The introduction of the CD4Now diagnostic test gives us the opportunity to revolutionize the way that HIV/AIDS is managed worldwide", said Richard Hawkins, LabNow's president and chief executive officer. "Considering the tens of millions of people who will benefit from this test, the potential impact is huge. We are now in the right position to extend the benefits of this exciting technology."
LabNow is pleased to be joining the GBC as a member and is committed to participating in the fight against HIV/AIDS.
About LabNow
LabNow, Inc. is a diagnostic products company seeking to improve the quality of patient care and lower overall treatment costs through deployment of rapid, point-of-care, diagnostics. The company, located in Austin,Texas, has licensed novel lab-on-a chip microfluidics technology from The University of Texas (UT) that performs complex fluid analysis quickly, accurately, and at a lower cost than current methods. The microfluidics sensor technology has broad medical, homeland security, environmental chemistry and process engineering application potential.
The technology was originally conceived and developed in the laboratory of Dr. John McDevitt of the University of Texas, and has been licensed exclusively to LabNow. The technology was adapted for HIV/AIDS related point-of-care diagnostics through a collaboration between McDevitt and William Rodriguez, MD, of Massachusetts General Hospital, and Bruce Walker, MD of Massachusetts General Hospital and Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
About The Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GBC)
The Global Business Coalition on HIV/AIDS (GBC) is the pre-eminent organization leading the business fight against HIV/AIDS. The rapidly-expanding alliance of over 170 international companies is dedicated to combating the AIDS epidemic through the business sector's unique skills and expertise. The mission of the GBC is to harness the power of the global business community to end the HIV/AIDS pandemic. For more information, please visit the GBC website at www.businessfightsaids.org, the leading global resource of company AIDS programs and hub of information relevant to business concerned about AIDS.
Contact:
Stephen Ceresia
LabNow, Inc.
512-329-9998 Ext. 211
