QIAGEN’s careHPV™ Test wins WHO prequalification status for cervical cancer screening
QIAGEN announced on August 1st that its careHPV™ Test, one of the only molecular diagnostics for high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) designed to screen women in low-resource settings, has been added to the World Health Organization (WHO) list of prequalified in vitro diagnostics (IVDs). HPV is the primary cause of cervical cancer, so screening women for the presence of the virus is a critical aspect for prevention and early treatment of the deadly cancer. The careHPV Test was launched globally in 2010 and through numerous pilot studies has demonstrated to be a more sensitive alternative to cytology and visual inspection based methods for the detection of pre-cancerous cell abnormalities. The WHO’s evidence-based listing is expected to expand the availability of this critical diagnostic tool in countries that rely on the global organization’s list in making purchasing decisions. The WHO Prequalification status will significantly broaden access to HPV DNA testing to areas of the world with a high burden of cervical cancer.
“The WHO prequalified IVD listing is a ‘stamp of approval’ for our innovative careHPV Test, and this will encourage authorities to adopt efficient, highly accurate HPV screening for prevention of cervical cancer in settings with limited healthcare infrastructure,” said Thierry Bernard, Senior Vice President, Molecular Diagnostics Business Area, for QIAGEN. “China routinely uses careHPV in rural or low-resource areas, and QIAGEN partners with non-governmental organizations and health ministries in developing countries. We expect the WHO listing to drive further dissemination of this important tool for women’s health.”
QIAGEN’s fast, portable and easy-to-use careHPV Test combines the power of advanced molecular technologies with innovative design features for areas lacking consistent electricity, water or a controlled laboratory environment. For example, the system has color-coded, easy-to-understand menus and self-contained reagents. The test tolerates temperature variations that occur in rural clinics lacking refrigeration due to limited electricity or water, and can provide results much faster than traditional laboratory based methodologies. The careHPV Test was developed with support from PATH, an international nonprofit organization, and is manufactured by QIAGEN in Shenzhen, China.
“High-quality molecular HPV tests that are easy to run are critical for expansion of cervical cancer prevention strategies in low-resource settings. WHO prequalification of careHPV is excellent news that will help countries to choose the best and most suitable technology for their programs. To achieve higher coverage of at-risk women and make an impact in cervical cancer prevention, we need to move to affordable and cost-effective strategies with HPV testing leveraging self-sampling potentially,” said Dr. Silvia de Sanjosé, Director of Scale-Up project at PATH, a global organization that works to accelerate health equity by bringing together public institutions, businesses, social enterprises, and investors to solve the world’s most pressing health challenges.
The careHPV Test for low-resource settings is highly complementary with QIAGEN’s digene HC2 HPV Test, the world’s most validated and sensitive diagnostic test for detection of high-risk HPV. The digene HC2 HPV Test is recognized as the “gold standard” in HPV screening and is widely used in developed countries and in large cities in emerging markets.
Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer among women worldwide, with an estimated 528,000 new cases and 266,000 deaths in 2012, the most recent year for which WHO publishes statistics. An estimated 80% of new cases and deaths occur in developing countries, where awareness of the disease and access to preventive tests and medical treatment is low. In many low-resource areas, cervical cancer has eclipsed breast cancer as the primary cancer killer of women.
