The kit prototype detects Hepatitis B virus and finds out the success of Hepatitis B vaccination, known from antibody protection towards Hepatitis B virus. The event was attended by Minister of Research, Technology, and Higher Education, Prof. H. Mohamad Nasir, Ph.D., Ak, and Minister of Economy, Dr. Sri Mulyani Indrawati.

The kit is developed by research team led by Ernawati Arifin Giri-Rachman M.Si, Ph.D. from School of Life Sciences and Technology of ITB and funded by Endowment Fund for Education (LPDP). There are 10 researchers involved in total, who come from SITH, SF, BBRC, and PT. Biofarma. The development of the kit is one of the additional output products from Hepatitis B vaccine consortium.

*Minister of Research, Technology, and Higher Education, Prof. H. Mohamad Nasir when observing the kit prototype in FRLN 2018 (Photo by: Ristekdikti)

Ernawati explained that Hepatitis B is a serious illness. Without immediate treatment, the illness can cause liver cancer and lead to death. Therefore, prevention is necessary, one of which is by making diagnostic kit for detection of Hepatitis B.

The diagnostic kit serves to detect Hepatitis B virus and finds out the success of Hepatitis B vaccine. By using this kit, one’s infection status can be known rapidly and accurately without the need of using expensive import diagnostic kit.

This kit is developed using products made by ITB researchers and Hepatitis B vaccine consortium. It has sensitivity, accuracy and reliability equal to that of existing import kit.

“Currently, the development of this diagnostic kit is followed by development of device to read the result of diagnostic kit detection called ELISA reader, which is developed by research team from STEI and SITH ITB. ELISA reader is a high-accuracy device with lower price than import products,” Ernawati said on Friday (14/9/2018).