Innovative, Multi-platform, Affordable CD4+Innovative, Multi-platform, Affordable CD4+Enumeration Reagents that Need No Cold Chain:Enumeration Reagents that Need No Cold Chain:Impacting HIV/AIDS Management in Resource PoorImpacting HIV/AIDS Management in Resource PoorSettingsSettings

Dr.Anand Sivaraman,Dr.Anand Sivaraman,ReaMetrix India Pvt. Ltd.ReaMetrix India Pvt. Ltd.Bangalore 560092Bangalore 560092

HIV in India – Current StatusHIV in India – Current Status

HIV Prevalence rate in India 0.36%

(source, NACO 2007 Bulletin)

2.5 Million HIV Infections

Management of HIV Infection

Providing Anti Retroviral Therapy (ART)Immunophenotyping

CD4 T-Lymphocyte Count

Viral Load Assay

PCR – quantitate virus levels in blood

Role of CD4+ T-Lymphocyte Count in HIV pathogenesis

Assessing immune status of patientsIndicating initiation of prophylactic ART therapy Assessing patient response to therapy

Current Issues with CD4 testing in Resource PoorCurrent Issues with CD4 testing in Resource PoorSettingsSettings

High cost of testingPoorly developed cold chain in thetransportation, storage & use of reagents Aging of blood samples that aretransported to centralized testingfacilitiesComplicated assay workflow withmultiple critical pipetting stepsleading to errors in CD4 countenumeration

ISSUES

Undertook a study of the anatomy of cost of CD4 testingWorked on a locally relevantinnovative product delivery model –dried reagentsRe-designed reagents to enablestaining in collection centresSimplified assay workflow with a single critical pipetting step – reducedchance of human error