On Jun. 27, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted marketing authorization to Cepheid for the Xpert HCV test and GeneXpert Xpress System, the first hepatitis C virus (HCV) test that can be used to bring diagnosis to appropriately certified point-of-care settings for individuals at risk for hepatitis C.

The test may be performed in settings operating under a CLIA (Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments) Certificate of Waiver, such as certain substance use disorder treatment facilities, correctional facilities, syringe service programs, doctor’s offices, emergency departments and urgent care clinics. Rather than requiring a sample to be sent to a central lab for testing, the test detects HCV RNA and delivers results in about an hour using a blood sample from the fingertip. 

The authorization of this test enables a test-and-treat approach where a person can be tested for HCV, and if positive for HCV RNA, be linked to care and potentially receive treatment during the same health care visit. Prior to the availability of a rapid, point-of-care test, HCV testing has been a multi-step process which often results in patients needing follow-up appointments for test results and additional testing, which can lead to patients not receiving a diagnosis and not receiving necessary treatment. 

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, hepatitis C is a liver infection caused by the hepatitis C virus. Hepatitis C is spread through contact with blood from a person with hepatitis C. For some people, hepatitis C is a short-term illness, but for more than half of people with HCV infection, it becomes a long-term, chronic infection. 

It is estimated more than 2.4 million people – and as many as 4 million people – in the United States have hepatitis C, which if left untreated, often leads to serious and sometimes deadly outcomes such as liver cancer and liver failure. The infection contributed to more than 12,000 deaths in 2022 alone.