Select develops test to detect Hepatitis A immunity

Select Vaccines (ASX:SLT) announced today it has developed a rapid immunoglobulin G antibody assay to diagnose previous infection with the Hepatitis A virus (HAV).

“The great benefit of having an IgG assay for HAV is that it can be easily and cost effectively used as a pre-vaccination screen,” said Select Vaccines managing director Dr Martin Soust in a statement.

“People who are already protected against HAV due to past infection can avoid an unnecessary, expensive and sometimes painful vaccination. Given that approximately one third of the population in the developed world has such protection, a great many wasted vaccine doses have the potential to be eliminated.”

Select has also developed an immunoglobulin M assay, which can be used to diagnose HAV infection shortly after infection. Both tests are conducted using a finger-prick blood sample and results are available within five minutes at the point of care.

Select plans to combine them in a single platform which gives a result for each type of antibody.