Chiron Corporation recently announced the opening of a Chiron nucleic acid testing (NAT) lab in China as part of the celebration of the fiftieth anniversary of the Beijing Blood Center.

The Chiron NAT Lab will be utilized initially as a clinical trial site required for product registration in China. The NAT lab will utilize Procleix HIV-1/HCV Assay, which tests simultaneously for the HIV-1 and hepatitis C (HCV) virus in donated blood. The opening of this laboratory will increase Chiron's visibility in the Asian market and provide the company with a platform for potential future growth in the region.

"The opening of the Procleix lab in China represents an important milestone in Chiron's commitment to expand blood safety globally," said Jack Goldstein, president, Chiron Blood Testing. "China is committed to adding new layers of safety to the nation's blood supply. We hope to continue to build on the excellent partnership that we have established with Chinese health authorities as we move forward in introducing Procleix into the Chinese market."

Dr. Goldstein and Dr. George Kuo, Chiron Fellow and co-discoverer of the HCV virus, will participate in this historic event. At the center's opening, Chiron will unveil plans for a multi-center scientific study to establish and evaluate the epidemiology of transfusion-transmitted diseases in China, particularly HIV. The study will be conducted by Johns Hopkins University and is being sponsored by Chiron Blood Testing.