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Diagnostics Products: Introduction
Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) is a technology that underpins the entire AMPLICOR PCR Test portfolio developed by Roche Diagnostics. It is a technique that imitates a cell’s ability to replicate DNA by generating multiple copies of specific sequences of DNA through amplification. In clinical diagnostics, a specimen of genetic material weighing only one-trillionth of a gram can be repeatedly copied by PCR to provide sufficient material to detect the presence or absence of a virus as well as to quantitate its levels in the blood. Among the important applications for PCR are archaeology, forensics, biological research as well as clinical diagnostics. HIV viral load testing is perhaps the most clinically significant application of PCR currently available. The AMPLICOR HIV-1 MONITORTM Test has been used in the following applications in the field of HIV:
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The development of new drugs:
HIV-1 RNA (measured by the AMPLICOR HIV-1 MONITOR Test) has been widely used as an outcome measure in pivotal clinical trials of new antiretroviral agents (negating the need for patients in trials to reach clinical endpoints such as the appearance of certain opportunistic infections)
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To establish a patient’s disease status and the likelihood of disease progression
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To determine when to start treatment
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To help the physician decide which drugs to use in a treatment regimen
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To assess whether a treatment regimen is working
Further information on Roche Diagnostics and its range of products and services can be found at the
Roche Diagnostics website
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