Test Measures HIV Replication Capacity

A new test evaluates the replication capacity (RC) of HIV, measuring the ability of a patient's virus to make copies of itself. The test is designed to help doctors select optimal antiretroviral therapy cocktails for HIV patients.

Recent studies have suggested that replication capacity data, in combination with drug resistance information, viral load, and CD4 count, may allow for a more-informed prediction of HIV disease progression. For example, the RC assay can help doctors identify cases where the RC of a patient's virus is impaired, which often occurs when the virus has extensively mutated to become resistant to an antiretroviral drug regimen. In such cases, a doctor may choose to maintain the regimen in order to keep the mutated, less "fit” strain of HIV in the patient's body, especially if there are few or no other treatment options.

The test is the product of ViroLogic, Inc. (S. San Francisco, CA, USA). It will be provided in combination with the company's PhenoSense GT and drug resistance tests at no additional charge. With this new RC assay, ViroLogic now offers four products for patient testing.

"Successfully treating HIV has become increasingly complex, and having more information about the patient's individual virus may help in making better treatment decisions,” said Charles Hicks, M.D., associate clinical professor of medicine, Duke University Medical Center (Durham, NC. USA).




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