The World Health Organization (WHO) declared that the vast majority of hepatitis patients worldwide do not have access to timely hepatitis detection and treatment. Sadly, the condition of millions of hepatitis patients is at risk of worsening into cirrhosis, liver cancer, and death. Hepatitis also strongly impacts us, as it is the leading cause of death among Taiwanese. Furthermore, liver cancer has been ranked among the top 2 causes of death for the last 40 years.
Reluctantly tacking these problems, Chair Prof. Oliver Hu (Hu Yao-pu), alongside his research this research team from the Taipei Medical University, Academia Sinica, and National Defense Medical Center, in collaboration with international biomedical companies Avalon HepaPOC Limited and Jaco Biotech, successfully developed the “GSP (Galactose Single Point) Rapid Measurement System.” This system facilitates instant and quantitative measurement of the blood flow and enzymes of the liver using a single-point blood test to determine actual liver function.
To save us time and alleviate pain, the GSP Rapid Measurement System was created to use the GSP (Galactose Single Point). We are proud to announce, this method invented by Prof. Hu can be employed immediately in a clinical setting. The Method has been recommended in the guidelines promulgated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) and Taiwan’s Ministry of Health and Welfare. Apart from that, GSP is also included in widely used medical textbooks in the U.K. and the U.S. In May 2022, it was also published in “Analytical and Bioanalytical Chemistry.” a world-leading biomedical analytical journal that’s existed for over 100 years.
(https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00216-022-04051-1)
This measurement system allows rapid quantification of the degree of liver impairment in patients. It can be applied to a wide range of patients with liver insufficiency by adjusting the dose of medications such as phenytoin, statins, and cefoperazone. Moreover, GSP also facilitates the screening for congenital galactosemia for the timely and cost-effective clinical management of patients.
Prof. Hu highlighted that the GSP Rapid Measurement System can be used in hospitals, clinics, and even pharmacies to test liver functioning. The actual liver function results are available within an hour. The simple measurement method is similar to blood glucose testing: patients just have to draw a little blood an hour after drinking or injecting galactose, and their liver function can be tested within 75 seconds. Currently, the System is patented in Taiwan, the U.S., China, and other countries, and was granted an In Vitro Diagnostic Device (IVD) license by the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Taiwan. It is expected to serve and benefit a large number of patients diagnosed with liver disease as well as those taking physical examinations.