Abbott gets U.S. nod for HIV viral load test

(Corrects typo in headline)

Aug 9 (Reuters) - Abbott (ABT.N: Quote, Profile, Research, Stock Buzz) said it received a supplemental premarket approval from U.S. health regulators for its recently introduced RealTime HIV-1 viral load test to detect and measure levels of HIV in a patient's blood.

The approval allows Abbott to market a number of enhancements to the test, including a new design feature that will give laboratories the flexibility to perform tests with smaller amounts of blood plasma.

The Abbott RealTime HIV-1 is intended in part to help assess viral response to antiretroviral treatment.

(Reporting by Supantha Mukherjee in Bangalore)

((Editing by Himani Sarkar; Reuters Messaging: supantha.mukherjee.reuters.com@reuters.net; within U.S.+1 646 223 8780; outside U.S. +91 80 4135 5800)) Keywords: ABBOTT FDA/

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