- The cobas SARS-CoV-2 Variant Set 1 Test is designed to detect key spike mutations in virus variants associated with increased human-to-human transmission
- Accurate detection and differentiation of SARS-CoV-2 mutations can help assess the spread of circulating variants and monitor their potential impact on therapeutics, vaccines and public health interventions
- Periodic assessments against emerging variants have shown that Roche’s current diagnostic tests for detecting active SARS-CoV-2 infections remain accurate and effective
- The test runs on widely used high-throughput systems and is for research purposes only
Basel, 16 March 2021- Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today announced the launch of the cobas® SARS-CoV-2 Variant Set 1 Test to detect and differentiate mutations found in variants that originated in the UK (B.1.1.7), South Africa (B.1.351), and Brazil (P.1). This research use only laboratory test can be used to help scientists track mutation prevalence and to assess any potential impact on diagnostics, vaccines and therapeutics, providing crucial insight for healthcare systems in making appropriate measures to combat COVID-19.
Variants of B.1.1.7, B.1.351 and P.1 lineage gained prominence in late 2020, with each carrying a number of genomic mutations. Among them, mutations E484K, N501Y and del 69-70 are located in the spike protein, the region that enables the virus to attach to and enter the human cell. Studies have suggested that these mutations may be linked to increased disease transmissibility, and possibly decreased therapeutic and vaccine efficacy.1-4
“Viruses naturally evolve over time. While most mutations do not have a clinical impact, some variants need to be tracked carefully as they seem to spread more easily and quickly,” said Thomas Schinecker, CEO Roche Diagnostics. “Continued surveillance is essential for public health. Our latest solution provides laboratories a fast and efficient way to investigate these variants found in infected individuals and the potential impact on existing therapies, vaccines and tests.”
The cobas SARS-CoV-2 Variant Set 1 Test runs on the widely available, high-volume cobas® 6800/8800 Systems. Pre-optimized assay design, ready-to-use test cassettes and predefined software parameters enable laboratories to reduce testing complexity and increase walkaway time.
It is important to note that Roche has confirmed its existing diagnostic tests to detect SARS-CoV-2 are not affected by known mutations and remain accurate and effective in detecting active infections. The company is conducting assessments on a regular basis and will continue to monitor as new variants arise.
Image Credit: Roche
Post by Amanda Scott, NA CEO. Follow her on twitter @tantriclens
Thanks to Heinz V. Hoenen. Follow him on twitter: @HeinzVHoenen
News
Scientists Successfully Built Tiny Robots That Can Reproduce on Their Own
'This is something that's never been observed before'. A team of scientists from the University of Vermont (UVM) has discovered a new form of reproduction in computer-designed organisms (CDOs) that they had created earlier. [...]
Modeling Wing Nanostructures to Improve Solar Technologies
Harnessing renewable energy has been a prominent strategy to promote environmental conservation. Butterfly wings exhibit many unique properties, such as their striking wing coloration, light absorption mechanisms, and responses to various stimuli. For many [...]
Nasal Alzheimer’s Vaccine To Start Human Trials for the First Time
Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston Massachusetts will soon begin Phase I trials of a nasal vaccine designed to prevent or slow the progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD), a press release said. This is the [...]
Innovations in Nanocomposites: A Future Outlook
Nanocomposites are a class of nanomaterials, where one or more nanostructured materials (organic/inorganic) are incorporated in metal, polymer, or ceramic to obtain a new material with many unique properties. Nanocomposites are applied in various [...]
Pfizer – updated version of vaccine ‘ready in 100 days’ if the new Omicron resistant to its current vaccine
Pfizer said it will be able to manufacture and distribute an updated version of its COVID-19 vaccine within 100 days if the new variant Omicron is found to be resistant to its current vaccine. [...]
B.1.1.529 – What do we know about the new ‘worst ever’ Covid variant?
UK places South Africa on red travel list over B.1.1.529 variant picked up by scientists in country. What is the new variant and why is it a concern? Scientists have detected a new Covid-19 [...]
Scientists warn of new Covid variant with high number of mutations
The B.1.1.529 variant was first spotted in Botswana and six cases have been found in South Africa. Scientists have said a new Covid variant that carries an “extremely high number” of mutations may drive [...]
New microscope uses photonics to gain insights into superbugs
Scientists are building a new super-resolution microscope that uses laser light to study the inner workings and behaviours of superbugs to gain new insights into how they cause disease. The microscope will allow scientists [...]
Researchers make ultra-sensitive cancer detector from 2D materials
Cells can produce unique electrical signals. These signals can be linked to various cancers, such as the breast, lung, liver, brain, pancreas and prostate cancers, meaning that they can be used as indicators for [...]
New sensor detects ever smaller nanoparticles
Conventional microscopes produce enlarged images of small structures or objects with the help of light. Nanoparticles, however, are so small that they hardly absorb or scatter light and, hence, remain invisible. Optical resonators increase [...]
How Will the COVID Pills Change the Pandemic?
From a new article By Dhruv Khullar in the New York Times: New antiviral drugs are startlingly effective against the coronavirus—if they’re taken in time. n March, 2020, researchers at Emory University published a paper about a [...]
Is Delta the last Covid ‘super variant’?
Every week, a group of epidemiologists across the north-east of the United States joins a Zoom call entirely devoted to discussing the latest hints of new Covid-19 variants being reported around the world. “It’s like the [...]
Cancer cells use ‘tiny tentacles’ to suppress the immune system
To grow and spread, cancer cells must evade the immune system. Investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital and MIT used the power of nanotechnology to discover a new way that cancer can disarm its [...]
Cancer cells use ‘tiny tentacles’ to suppress the immune system
To grow and spread, cancer cells must evade the immune system. Investigators from Brigham and Women's Hospital and MIT used the power of nanotechnology to discover a new way that cancer can disarm its [...]
3D printing approaches atomic dimensions
A new 3D printing technology makes the production of complex metallic objects at the nanoscale possible. A team of chemists led by a scientist from the University of Oldenburg has developed an electrochemical technique [...]
Nanoscale ‘computer’ controls function of protein, influences cell behavior
The creation of nanoscale computers for use in precision health care has long been a dream of many scientists and health care providers. Now, for the first time, researchers at Penn State have produced [...]
