Abbott introduces new HPV infection test in Europe

The CE-marked assay can identify patients infected with specific viral genotypes known to pose the highest risk for progression to cervical cancer, said Abbott.

The new assay uses liquid-based cytology specimens and runs on the Abbott m-Systems – m2000 for large-volume testing laboratories and m24sp or manual for labs performing small- to mid-sized volumes.

Unlike other human papillomavirus (HPV) tests, the Abbott RealTime High Risk HPV assay detects the 14 highest risk HPV genotypes and, in the same procedure, can identify women infected with the HPV 16 and HPV 18 genotypes, which account for more than 70% of cervical cancer cases, the company said.

Jack Cuzick, professor of epidemiology at Barts and the London, Queen Mary’s School of Medicine and Dentistry, said: “The Abbott RealTime HPV assay is a major advance that provides clinicians with three results in one assay: detection of the 14 HPV high risk types as well as genotyping to determine if the highest risk HPV 16 and 18 genotypes are present in the sample.”