Mitsubishi Chemical Corp. will begin domestic sales of a U.S.-made screening device for cervical cancer in mid-April, company officials said Friday.
The DNA test, developed by U.S. venture business Digene Corp., checks for the presence of the human papilloma virus, which causes cervical cancer, the officials said.
It is the first diagnostic drug of its kind to be available in Japan. The usual method for checking for the presence of cervical cancer is screening with a microscope.
Mitsubishi Chemical will sell the drug to users through its subsidiary Mitsubishi Kagaku Medical Inc.
Sexual intercourse is the primary source of papilloma virus infections. Digene's check for the presence of the virus takes 3 1/2 hours.