Scientists at Northwestern University have developed a rapid PCR test that can diagnose hepatitis C in about 15 minutes using whole blood samples. Adapted from a COVID-19 detection system and built on the DASH rapid PCR platform, the test aims to enable same-day treatment and bolster global efforts to eliminate the virus, with early evaluations showing accuracy comparable to existing commercial platforms.
Chronic hepatitis C affects an estimated 50 million people worldwide and causes approximately 242,000 deaths each year, mostly due to cirrhosis and liver cancer, according to Northwestern University and World Health Organization estimates.
Although direct-acting antiviral medications can usually cure hepatitis C infection with an 8- to 12-week course of treatment, many people remain undiagnosed or untreated, in part because confirmatory testing is slow and often requires multiple clinic visits.
The new hepatitis C test, described by Northwestern University and in a paper in The Journal of Infectious Diseases, runs on the DASH® (Diagnostic Analyzer for Specific Hybridization) rapid PCR platform. Originally developed at Northwestern to detect COVID-19 from nasal swab samples, the system has now been adapted to process whole blood specimens and detect hepatitis C viral RNA at the point of care.
Northwestern reports that the device can deliver results to patients in about 15 minutes — up to 75% faster than other rapid hepatitis C virus tests currently available — making it easier for clinicians to discuss results and start treatment during a single visit.
"We were able to develop a diagnostic test that can be performed at the point of care during a patient’s clinical visit, which could enable same-day diagnosis and treatment in support of HCV elimination efforts," said corresponding author Sally McFall, co-director of the Center for Innovation in Global Health Technologies at Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering and a researcher at the Robert J. Havey, MD Institute for Global Health.
To validate the technology, the Northwestern team shipped DASH analyzers and DASH HCV cartridges to collaborators at Johns Hopkins University. In an independent evaluation of 97 clinical specimens, Johns Hopkins scientists found 100% agreement between the DASH results and those from existing commercial diagnostic platforms, according to Northwestern’s release.
The research describing the test was published on December 10, 2025, in The Journal of Infectious Diseases in a paper titled "Development of a Rapid Automated Point-of-Care Test for Hepatitis C Viral RNA on the DASH® Rapid PCR System."
Current hepatitis C diagnosis typically involves two steps: an initial antibody test to determine whether a person has ever been exposed to the virus, followed — if positive — by a PCR test that detects viral RNA to confirm an active infection. In many settings, the PCR sample is sent to a central laboratory for processing, which can delay results by several days or even weeks and requires patients to return for a follow-up visit.
Northwestern notes that one existing U.S. Food and Drug Administration–approved point-of-care hepatitis C RNA test generally takes 40 to 60 minutes to produce results, often longer than a standard appointment. By comparison, the DASH-based assay is designed to fit within typical visit lengths and reduce the risk that patients are lost to follow-up.
"This test could revolutionize HCV care in the U.S. and globally by dramatically improving diagnosis, accelerating treatment uptake and enabling more people to be cured faster," said study co-author Dr. Claudia Hawkins, director of the Havey Institute for Global Health’s Center for Global Communicable and Emerging Infectious Diseases at Northwestern. "By reducing delays and simplifying testing pathways, it has the potential to save millions of lives from the devastating liver-related complications of untreated HCV."
Researchers and public health officials say such rapid, point-of-care tools could support the World Health Organization’s goal of eliminating hepatitis C as a public health threat by 2030, if paired with expanded access to treatment and broader screening.
