Serving the needs of physicians and clinics nationwide, LifeBrite Laboratories offers a full range of lab testing capabilities in areas such as carrier testing, molecular pathology, and respiratory pathogen profiles. LifeBrite Laboratories’ core offerings include accurate sexually transmitted infection (STI) testing, including for HIV.
As featured on the company site, treatment and testing for AIDS, and the immune system depleting HIV virus, have progressed significantly since the condition emerged in the early 1980s. Early strides in a disease that impacted the lives of as many as 10 million people by the end of the decade included antiretroviral drug zidovudine (AZT) therapy. A 10-minute testing kit was introduced in 1992, and two years later a rapid oral HIV test was approved.
At the same time, the existing AZT therapy was expanded upon and made more widely available. Introduction of a pioneering protease inhibitor led to highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART) in 1995 that immediately reduced AIDS-related mortality by as much as 80 percent.
In 2017, further medical advances, coupled with awareness efforts, led to another breakthrough moment, in which a majority of those living with HIV around the world had access to antiretroviral treatment. At present HIV treatments are generally effective and accessible, though they are expensive. Testing is still the most critical component in preventing the disease from spreading, and it’s recommended that all sexually active adolescents and adults (up to age 64), as well as pregnant women, undergo HIV tests at least once.
