SOUTH SAN FRANCISCO (dpa-AFX) - Swiss drug maker Roche Group (RHHBY) announced Friday the launch of its Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S antibody test for markets accepting the CE Mark.
The company has filed for Emergency Use Authorisation or EUA from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The new test is expected to support the evaluation of vaccines.
The new Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 serology test can be used to quantitatively measure antibodies in people who have been exposed to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 or SARS-CoV-2. The test targets antibodies against the spike protein. This is the focus of vaccines in development and convalescent plasma therapy.
The new test is the twelfth in the Roche SARS-CoV-2 testing portfolio.
Roche noted that the new Elecsys Anti-SARS-COV-2 S antibody test, together with the Elecsys Anti-SARS-CoV-2 test launched in May, can help to more effectively determine the percentage of a population who already have antibodies against SARS-COV-2.
Thomas Schinecker, CEO Roche Diagnostics, said, 'As the possibility of an effective SARS-CoV-2 vaccine becomes a reality, quantitative measurement of antibodies will be crucial in the evaluation of any potential vaccine. The new quantitative Elecsys antibody test can play a pivotal role in vaccine clinical trials as well as helping clinicians assess patients immune response.'
Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX
© 2020 AFX News
