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- Atomo Diagnostics’ (AT1) rapid test for HIV has been approved and listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG)
- The simple handheld test is half the size of an iPhone and can deliver a diagnosis within 15 minutes
- The professional use test removes the need for samples to be sent to a lab and avoids the associated lag time
- The tests are already CE marked and are available from Atomo’s commercialisation partners in multiple countries worldwide
- Atomo Diagnostics is trading 2.94 per cent lower for 33 cents
Atomo Diagnostics’ (AT1) rapid test for HIV has been approved and listed on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG).
Rapid test
The approval of the AtomoRapid HIV (1&2) professional use rapid diagnostic test (RDT) comes on the heels of other recent approvals for the AtomoRapid COVID-19 Antibody Test, the Atomo COVID-19 Antigen Test, and the Atomo HIV Self-Test.
The new test will be administered by medical professionals in point of care settings like drop-in clinics and community health centres, and can deliver results in just 15 minutes.
The handheld test uses a single drop of blood from a finger-prick by an inbuilt sterile safety lancet, which is then delivered via a patented blood collection and delivery mechanism to a highly sensitive HIV diagnostic test strip.
The whole unit is only around half the size of an iPhone.
The rapid result delivery means people can be tested and diagnosed during the same appointment, rather than waiting days for lab results.
Atomo Managing Director John Kelly says he’s pleased to add the new HIV test to the company’s suite of rapid diagnostic tests.
“We already manufacture and supply the only HIV self-test to have been approved for sale in Australia, so we see this latest approval as further confirmation of our expertise in this field,” John said.
“This latest good news follows our recent TGA approvals for rapid antigen and antibody tests that detect SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, and means we can now further expand our portfolio of best-in-class rapid diagnostic tests in our home market,” he added.
Outlook
While the rapid HIV test may not have quite the same instant appeal as the company’s recently approved rapid COVID-19 tests — nor the same instant demand domestically — there’s still great potential for the RDT.
Sending test samples to a lab and waiting for results to be confirmed is time-consuming and inefficient.
The quick turnaround time and simple administration of the RDT is likely to at least partially replace the ‘old’ way of doing things in many point of care settings.
The potential to roll out the test in countries with high rates of HIV infection also stands to streamline the diagnosis and treatment of the disease, given the test’s simplicity and speed.
The professional-use HIV tests are CE marked and already available from Atomo’s commercialisation partners in multiple countries worldwide.
Atomo Diagnostics is trading 2.94 per cent lower for 33 cents at 10:21am AEDT.
