Roche announced the commercial availability of the cobas HIV-1 and cobas HCV assays for use on the cobas 6800/8800 Systems—expanding the menu on the newest molecular diagnostic platforms from Roche with next generation viral load monitoring assays. The new assays offer the high performance that clinicians depend on to manage the treatment of patients infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV-1) or Hepatitis C (HCV).

“The cobas 6800/8800 Systems represent the next generation of molecular diagnostic instruments that offer unparalleled performance, unmatched flexibility and absolute automation,” said Roland Diggelmann, COO of Roche Diagnostics. “By virtue of their design and clinical utility, the cobas HIV-1 and cobas HCV tests set new industry standards for viral load assays, delivering on Roche’s commitment to provide new diagnostic tools to advance the medical community’s understanding about viral disease and improve the ability to treat patients.”

The assays launched recently will be followed in the coming months by the cobas CMV and cobas HBV assays, which will complete the primary portfolio of viral load monitoring assays for the cobas 6800/8800 Systems. This viral load portfolio on the cobas 6800/8800 Systems will provide laboratories with improved productivity and the ability to deliver results for rapid clinical decisions.

The cobas HIV-1 and HCV assays and the cobas 6800/8800 Systems are commercially available in markets that recognise CE-Mark and are not currently available in the United States.

The cobas 6800 and 8800 Systems are fully automated solutions designed for blood donor screening, viral load monitoring, women’s health and microbiology testing. They are available in medium and high throughput models, respectively. Based on the Nobel-prize winning PCR technology, the systems are designed to deliver increased automation and throughput with shorter time to results, providing users with greater testing flexibility to increase overall workflow efficiencies.

The systems provide up to 96 results in less than 3.5 hours, and a total of 384 results for the cobas 6800 and 960 results for the cobas 8800 in an 8 hours shift. Both systems allow for mixed batching, making it possible for labs to perform up to three tests in the same run with no pre-sorting required. The systems also enable up to eight hours (cobas 6800) and four hours (cobas 8800) of “work-away” time with minimal user interaction.