The Need for a New Generation of HIV Diagnostics

Abstract

Despite remarkable advances in the prevention and treatment of HIV, over 35 million individuals currently live with active HIV infection and worldwide, there were nearly 2.1 million new cases of HIV in 2013.1,2 The benefits of rapid testing to determine HIV infection are well established - the introduction of Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) treatment within four hours of exposure has been shown to dramatically limit both virus spread and progression to AIDS.3 Equally critical is the need to continuously monitor virus load in individuals on HAART and/or other HIV therapies.