Supporting the fight against liver disease

Around 257 million people across the world are estimated to be living with hepatitis B (HBV), which causes cirrhosis and liver cancer. Effective vaccination has made a huge difference to transmission rates. But while the World Health Organisation (WHO) has ambitious targets to reduce HBV-related deaths by 65% by 2030, vaccines can’t go it alone.

Cue a ground-breaking ‘in vitro’ test called Murex HBsAg Version 3. Using blood, cell or body tissue samples, this test – known as an enzyme immunoassay – helps detect the presence of the hepatitis B surface antigen in the human body. Not only is it one of the most precise and reliable methods for detecting hepatitis B. It’s also flexible and easy to carry out, making testing faster and far more efficient.

We stepped into the ‘in vitro’ story in 2007, when Abel + Imray successfully filed for a patent of Murex HBsAg Version 3 on behalf of Murex Diagnostics Corporation. The test was then accepted for the WHO’s list of in vitro prequalified diagnostics in 2014 – making it a central to the continuing battle against liver disease.