The government of Mexico's Public Health Agency (SSA) has announced the first phase of a human papillomavirus testing program for low-income women aged 35-65. The test is in addition to the traditional Pap smear. From early 2009, the aim is to offer screening to 800,000 people, including 200,000 in the poorest districts of the country, using the Netherlands-based Qiagen's digene HPV test.
According to World Health Organization data, 11% of women in Mexico carry the HPV virus, with 12,000 cases of cervical cancer, half of them fatal, resulting from this per year.
Peer Schatz, Qiagen's chief executive, said: "the Mexican government is taking a leadership role in Latin America and the world, and Qiagen is committed to joining with the SSA to assure that our advanced screening technology is accessible to women everywhere, no matter what their income level or social class." The digene HPV test is the only such product approved by the US Food and Drug Administration, the firm noted.
This article is accessible to registered users, to continue reading please register for free. A free trial will give you access to exclusive features, interviews, round-ups and commentary from the sharpest minds in the pharmaceutical and biotechnology space for a week. If you are already a registered user please login. If your trial has come to an end, you can subscribe here.
Login to your accountTry before you buy
7 day trial access
Become a subscriber
Or £77 per month
The Pharma Letter is an extremely useful and valuable Life Sciences service that brings together a daily update on performance people and products. It’s part of the key information for keeping me informed
Chairman, Sanofi Aventis UK
Copyright © The Pharma Letter 2025 | Headless Content Management with Blaze