The LoopampTM MTBC assay (Eiken Chemical Company Ltd, Tokyo, Japan) is a rapid molecular diagnostic that uses the loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) technique for the detection of tuberculosis (TB). This assay is commonly known as TB-LAMP. In 2016, based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of data from 20 studies conducted in 17 countries, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommended the use of TB-LAMP as a replacement for sputum smear microscopy.
TB-LAMP’s minimal infrastructure requirements and simple instrumentation make it an attractive option for laboratories at the peripheral level in low-and middle-income countries, as well as for active case-finding activities that result in significant numbers of samples that can be batch tested using the HumaLoop T instrument (up to 70 samples per 8-hour shift). The price of $6.00 per sample when batching optimally means TB-LAMP is currently the only WHO-recommended rapid molecular diagnostic that meets the target price established by WHO for a replacement test for microscopy.