A monoclonal antibody for the detection of the antiretroviral drug emtricitabine

Antibody-based testing for emtricitabine (FTC), a critical component of pre-exposure prophylaxis and antiretroviral therapy would provide low-cost detection for clinical monitoring to improve adherence. We developed a monoclonal antibody (5D2) to FTC and demonstrated its high specificity and physiologically relevant linear range of detection in a competitive enzyme immunoassay (EIA). Thus, this monoclonal antibody is a key reagent that will enable simple and low-cost lateral flow assays and EIAs for adherence monitoring.