bioMérieux and South Africa, united in the fight against AIDS

bioMérieux and South Africa, united in the fight against AIDS

Marcy l'Etoile, France - May 4, 2004. A major player in the field of infectious disease, bioMérieux, and its exclusive distributor for South Africa, Omnimed, have just won a most important tender for the National Health Laboratory Services of South Africa as regards the fight against the AIDS virus.
 

Through this agreement, signed on 2nd April 2004, the French company engages over the next five years to provide 5 million quantitative HIV reagents, and install 94 molecular biology instruments (extraction and reading). By enabling the analysis of HIV virus replication as well as the reaction of patients to therapeutic treatment, quantitative tests are an extremely useful tool for analysis laboratories.

“We must help the South African NHLS in their fight against AIDS, by making our molecular biology offer accessible" declared Benoit Adelus, Executive Vice President of bioMérieux. "This important contract is recognition of our commitment to the fight against infectious disease."

Out of a total population of 44.8 million inhabitants in South Africa, the number of adults infected by the AIDS virus is estimated at between 4.7 million and 5.3 million people. The fight against AIDS has therefore become a national cause of which bioMérieux was keen to be part. "By its easy-of-use, reliability, security and real-time detection, our Nuclisens® EasyQ offer is truly adapted to the needs of South African laboratories" added Dr. Christophe Mérieux, Senior Executive Vice President, Research and Development & Medical Affairs at bioMérieux.

This exclusive contract, valid for five years, includes an important amount of technical support from bioMérieux in terms of installation, after sales service, and training which will be performed on site by their South African partner, Omnimed ".