Abbott and YRGCARE join hands to study HIV, hepatitis patterns

Mumbai: Strengthening India's efforts in combating HIV and hepatitis viruses, pharma firm Abbott Ltd has announced its partnership with YR Gaitonde Centre for AIDS Research and Education (YRGCARE) to study the country's viral diversity to improve the accuracy of diagnostic tests.

Abbott will provide study protocol and diagnostic equipment and YRGCARE will help in screening and sequencing rich patient data from infected populations in India.

With more than 2.1 million people living with HIV, India has the third largest HIV incidence in the world with a large part co-infected with hepatitis C virus (HCV).

People who inject drugs (PWID) and sex workers are identified as key affected populations for which the epidemic is growing.

Sunil Suhas Solomon, Chairman, YRGCARE said, “Sequencing data in these affected populations will help us understand the evolutionary nature of the viruses enabling optimal treatment interventions to maximise impact.”