Easy-to-use test kit hits the market
Chiang Mai University has created the world's first easy-to-use strip test for Nevirapine, a widely used HIV/Aids treatment.
Each strip test costs just Bt100 and can accurately measure Nevirapine levels in blood within 10 minutes. "This is an efficient method of checking if patients are taking the treatment regularly," Asst Professor Chatchai Tayapiwattana said yesterday. He teaches at the university's Associated Medical Sciences Department. Supported by the Thailand Research Fund and the Programme for HIV Prevention and Treatment, Chatchai and Dr Mukda Pattarawaraphan developed the strip test using competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, or Elisa, techniques. The strip test for Nevirapine is easier and faster than complicated high-performance liquid chromatography procedures currently in use. These take time and require expensive equipment and professionals.
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