Douglas Michels, the CEO of OraSure
Technologies, has called his company's rapid at-home HIV test a
“game-changer.”
Appearing on Fox Business, Michels said
OraQuick, which won FDA approval earlier this month, would reach
brick-and-mortar and virtual shelves by October 1. The cost, he
added, has not been set yet, but it would be higher than the $17.50
health care professionals currently pay.
The OraQuick test detects the presence
of the HIV virus by using a mouth swab.
“It's truly a game-changer, we
believe,” Michels said. “Unfortunately today there's still 1.2
million people infected with HIV here in the United States. Up to 20
to 25 percent of those individuals are unaware of their infection.
And it's that population – infected but unaware – that's
responsible for 50 to 75 percent of the forward transmission.”
“So now we have a product that they
can buy at retail. They can take home – test in the comfort and
privacy of their home. And hopefully we can drive down incidents and
help these people know their status and live a long and healthy
life,” he added.