The test is marketed and sold by Qiagen. The new test is CE marked in Europe for in vitro diagnostic use and available for research use in other countries.
According to the company, HIV patients carrying the HLA-B5701 marker have a 60% higher risk to develop hypersensitivity reaction (HSR) to Abacavir, a component of several HIV-drugs.
Magnus Ingelman-Sundberg, professor and head of the section of pharmacogenetics at the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, said: “The screening for HLA-B5701 prior to Abacavir treatment allows the identification of patients likely to develop HSR.”