Abbott receives FDA approval for HIV test

Abbott’s Prism HIV O Plus test has received approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the company has announced.

In a statement, the firm explained that the assay is the first fully-automated blood screening test for HIV-1 and HIV-2 and can be used by professionals working in laboratories to screen individual donors of plasma and blood.

Commenting on the move, Mike Warmuth, senior vice-president of diagnostics at Abbott, stated that the company has a “strong heritage” in the development of HIV assays.

“The approval of Abbott Prism HIV O Plus marks an important milestone as we continue our leadership in HIV and our work to ensure the safety of the world’s blood supply,” he added.

Earlier this month, the company’s board of directors announced its 343rd quarterly dividend, which will be payable on November 15th to shareholders of record at the end of business on October 15th.