Walter Reed Says Rapid HIV Test 100% Accurate
ATLANTA, Aug. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- The test results of InstantScreen(R), a rapid HIV test kit, were presented at the 2001 National HIV Prevention Conference in Atlanta on Monday by representatives from Walter Reed Army Institute of Research.
BICO, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: BIKO) subsidiary Rapid HIV Detection Corp.'s InstantScreen showed a perfect 100% sensitivity and 100% specificity in nearly 600 tests performed at Water Reed recently. The data was presented at the conference by Dr. Nelson T. Michael, Chief - Department of Molecular Diagnostics and Pathogenesis at Walter Reed. Dr. Bernard Branson, Medical Epidemiologist for the CDC's National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, spoke of InstantScreen in the session "Accuracy of Newer Rapid Tests for HIV Antibody."
During the session called "Advances in HIV Testing Technology: HIV Rapid Testing," Dr. Michael and Dr. Branson stressed the need for rapid HIV testing as the first step to combat the HIV/AIDS pandemic not only in the United States but worldwide as well. For further evaluation of the InstantScreen test, the Walter Reed Institute recently purchased an additional 14,000 kits.
The benefits of InstantScreen are numerous. InstantScreen is 100% accurate, provides instant results -- within 30 seconds or less; is simple to use -- requires no special training, extra equipment, or refrigeration, uses only a small amount of finger prick blood; affordable -- approximately $10. Rapid Corp. also markets InstantConfirm(TM), which is an 8-minute confirmation test that for the first time successfully transforms the widely used gold standard Western Blot laboratory test into a rapid format, usable immediately to confirm a positive result.
Rapid Corp. exhibited the InstantScreen test at the conference and received a very favorable response with strong requests to make the test available domestically. While InstantScreen goes through the process to obtain approval by the FDA, the test will be marketed for purchase and use in Africa, India, South America, Caribbean and Asia.
BICO, Inc. recently obtained the exclusive worldwide marketing rights from the German American Institute for Applied Biological Research (GAIFAR) in Potsdam, Germany, where InstantScreen was developed.
BICO, Inc. has its corporate offices in Pittsburgh and is involved in the development and manufacture of biomedical devices and environmental solutions. The Company also has offices in Washington, D.C., as does Pittsburgh-based subsidiary Rapid Detection Corp.
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