Visible Genetics to partner with California on AIDS drug testing

Under an agreement between Visible Genetics Inc and the US state ofCalifornia, the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services is to provide genotypic testing for low-income HIV-positive residents, using VGI's TRUGENE HIV-1 genotyping technology, now under review at the Food and Drug Administration.

The program is specifically designed for the 28 County-funded health care providers which directly manage over 25,000 residents on antiretroviral HIV therapies, and is being provided as part of VGI's Vigilance II study, a prospective open-label trial conducted under the company's Investigational Device Exemption.

The data will also greatly enhance understanding of the complex HIV viral resistance mutations in LA County and help determine treatment strategies that could be most effective, said Charles Henry, director, LA County Office of AIDS Programs and Policy. "The ability to test HIV for resistance to drug therapies is every bit as significant as the actual development of antiretroviral therapy and protease inhibitors," he added.