QIAGEN's Coronavirus Test Kit Development Gets BARDA Funding
Zacks Investment Research | Mar 15, 2020 09:59PM ET
QIAGEN N.V. (NYSE:QGEN) announced that it is working to develop a QIAstat-Dx test kit to distinguish the novel SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus from 21 other serious respiratory infections. The company also announced that it will receive advanced development support from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (“HSS”) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (“ASPR”) for this purpose.
Notably, QIAGEN’s QIAstat-Dx solution is the first syndromic testing product, which has been selected for development through ASPR's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (“BARDA”) streamlined selection process, known as an easy broad agency announcement (“EZ-BAA”). BARDA has confirmed contributing $598,000 to the company to help speed up the evaluation process to detect SARS-CoV-2.
With the milestone, QIAGEN aims to strengthen foothold in the global Molecular Diagnostics market.
A Peek Into QIAstat-Dx
The QIAstat-Dx system was launched in Europe in 2018, whereas it was made available in the United States in mid-2019. It enables fast, cost-effective and easy-to-use syndromic testing, with Sample to Insight workflows.
Significance of the Funding
The company is working toward an accelerated development of the test kit to further expand its capacity to meet the testing demand. The test kit will be able to provide faster test results, thus, aiding faster diagnosis of patients with respiratory ailments.
Per QIAGEN, it is partnering with customers and public health authorities globally to scale up its coronavirus testing capacity, and make available the Sample to Insight QIAstat-Dx respiratory panel with SARS-CoV-2 detection. Along with the QIAstat-Dx test cartridges, the company is prioritizing the production of the QIAamp and EZ1 sample technologies per the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s testing guidelines.
The company can proactively help combat the global pandemic as it is not facing any supply chain interruptions from China or other markets. Currently, QIAGEN is also working toward mitigating any supply delays or allocations being faced by customers.
Get The News You Want
Notably, the company believes that its deliberations with the FDA along with the funding from the HHS will allow it to help the United States to contain the outbreak. Although the availability of the testing panel will vary on regions, it will be available in CE-IVD marking in Europe and other markets in the coming weeks.
Industry Prospects
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