Shares of Alva-based Omega Diagnostics Group rose about 9% on Friday after it announced it received approval from the Nigerian Ministry of Health for its Visitect CD4 350 test to be adopted into that country’s National HIV Control Programme.

Omega CEO Colin King said: “I am pleased that our test has been approved for use in Nigeria which was one of our key strategic aims and allows our unique point-of-care test to make a real difference to people living with HIV in Nigeria.”

In a stock exchange statement, Omega added: “Following a product evaluation in six geopolitical zones in Nigeria, co-ordinated by the National AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections Control Programme (NASCP), NASCP recommended to the MOH that the Company’s VISITECT® CD4 350 test be adopted into the National HIV Control Programme as a rapid and instrument-free test device that provides actionable results at the point of care. 

“MOH approval means the company’s VISITECT® CD4 350 test is the first rapid and instrument-free CD4 test to be implemented throughout Nigeria in the care of people living with HIV. 

“As announced on 2 December 2019, we have received initial orders from our distribution partner in Nigeria for 250,000 tests and we will now look to firm up a delivery schedule to determine what proportion of this demand can be shipped prior to the end of the financial year.”