New Pregnancy Assay Receives CE Marking and FDA Clearance
|
By LabMedica International staff writers Posted on 20 Jan 2014 |

Image: The new high standard \"Access Total βhCG (5th IS)\" assay for pregnancy determination from Beckman Coulter Diagnostics (Photo courtesy of Beckman Coulter).
The approved new pregnancy determination assay features a broad dynamic range and is the first to standardize to the World Health Organization's latest international standard.
To help move reproductive health management forward, Beckman Coulter Diagnostics of Beckman Coulter (Brea, CA, USA) has received the CE marking and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for its new "Access Total βhCG (5th IS)" assay. It is the first βhCG assay standardized to the highly purified World Health Organization (WHO) 5th International Standard (IS) for glycoprotein chorionic gonadotropin. The βhCG assay is critical in routine and emergency diagnosis as it is frequently ordered on women of childbearing-age who require treatment, which could potentially be harmful to a fetus. The expanded utility of the assay has also been CE Mark approved for Down syndrome assessment during pregnancy.
“As the first manufacturer to standardize to the WHO 5th IS, the new βhCG assay is an example of Beckman Coulter’s continuing dedication to lead the way in this important diagnostic field,” said John Blackwood, senior vice president of Product Management for Beckman Coulter Diagnostics; “The new assay is just one example of the innovations that comprise Beckman Coulter’s reproductive health portfolio—the most comprehensive immunoassay reproductive panel available on the market.”
The assay features a broad dynamic range with automatic onboard dilution capability, reducing the need for manual sample dilutions. As a part of the standardization, reference ranges have been updated to include additional populations that include women over the age of 40, postmenopausal women, and men. Additionally, in response to changing laboratory environments and the challenges faced in collecting serum samples, Beckman Coulter has further improved the Total βhCG (5th IS) to make it more resilient to preanalytical factors.
"Access" reproductive solutions are part of a comprehensive assay menu featured on the Access and UniCel Immunoassay Systems.
Related Links:
Beckman Coulter
To help move reproductive health management forward, Beckman Coulter Diagnostics of Beckman Coulter (Brea, CA, USA) has received the CE marking and US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510(k) clearance for its new "Access Total βhCG (5th IS)" assay. It is the first βhCG assay standardized to the highly purified World Health Organization (WHO) 5th International Standard (IS) for glycoprotein chorionic gonadotropin. The βhCG assay is critical in routine and emergency diagnosis as it is frequently ordered on women of childbearing-age who require treatment, which could potentially be harmful to a fetus. The expanded utility of the assay has also been CE Mark approved for Down syndrome assessment during pregnancy.
“As the first manufacturer to standardize to the WHO 5th IS, the new βhCG assay is an example of Beckman Coulter’s continuing dedication to lead the way in this important diagnostic field,” said John Blackwood, senior vice president of Product Management for Beckman Coulter Diagnostics; “The new assay is just one example of the innovations that comprise Beckman Coulter’s reproductive health portfolio—the most comprehensive immunoassay reproductive panel available on the market.”
The assay features a broad dynamic range with automatic onboard dilution capability, reducing the need for manual sample dilutions. As a part of the standardization, reference ranges have been updated to include additional populations that include women over the age of 40, postmenopausal women, and men. Additionally, in response to changing laboratory environments and the challenges faced in collecting serum samples, Beckman Coulter has further improved the Total βhCG (5th IS) to make it more resilient to preanalytical factors.
"Access" reproductive solutions are part of a comprehensive assay menu featured on the Access and UniCel Immunoassay Systems.
Related Links:
Beckman Coulter
Latest Immunology News
- FDA Approval Adds Automated Testing Option for Parvovirus B19 Serology
- Blood-Based Immune Aging Map Could Help Spot Disease Risk Earlier
- Blood-Based Immune Signal Could Reveal Lung Cancer Risk Before Tumors Develop
- Prototype Point-of-Care Test Aims to Improve Neonatal Sepsis Diagnosis
- Single-Tier Lyme Disease Test Shows High Sensitivity in Early Infection
- New Web-Based Platform Helps Autoimmune Laboratories Manage Testing Complexity
- Routine Newborn Blood Spots Can Measure GBS Antibody Levels
- New Autoantibody Test Targets Pre-Symptomatic Type 1 Diabetes Screening
- Blood Test Differentiates Bacterial and Viral Infections in Febrile Infants
- HIV Monitoring Strategy Uses Drug Levels to Guide Resistance Testing
- Werfen Expands Automated APS Testing with FDA-Cleared and CE-Marked IgA Reagent
- Blood Biomarker May Predict Colitis Risk in Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy
- Blood EBV Activity Biomarkers May Predict Multiple Sclerosis Relapse Months Ahead
- New Cellular Map May Help Predict Crohn’s Disease Course in Children
- Temporal Immune Profiling Reveals How Sepsis States Change Over Time
- Study Identifies Immune Cells That Drive Harmful Autoantibody Responses in COVID-19
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
Multimodal Clinical Data Models Predict Cachexia Risk Across Cancers
Cancer cachexia is a severe wasting syndrome that affects roughly half of patients with cancer and cannot be reversed simply by increasing food intake. It can reduce treatment tolerance, impair quality... Read more
Study Evaluates Alzheimer’s Blood Biomarker Across Racial and Ethnic Groups
Alzheimer’s disease trials increasingly depend on identifying cognitively unimpaired people who already have elevated brain amyloid. Blood biomarkers may help reduce reliance on positron emission tomography... Read moreMolecular Diagnostics
view channel
AI Tool Classifies Pathogenic Variants in Severe Childhood Epilepsy
Developmental and epileptic encephalopathies are rare neurodevelopmental disorders characterized by early-life seizures and significant developmental delays. Genetic testing can identify variants associated... Read more
Noninvasive Cervical Test Detects Endometrial Cancer for Triage
Endometrial cancer is rising in incidence and mortality in the United States. The disease has no population screening program or FDA-cleared noninvasive test for early identification, and evaluation can... Read moreHematology
view channel
New Myelofibrosis Guidelines Recommend Expanded Genetic Testing at Diagnosis
Myelofibrosis is a rare, life-threatening blood cancer affecting up to six per 100,000 people. The disease causes scarring in the bone marrow, limiting the production of healthy blood cells and potentially... Read more
Handheld Point-of-Care Test Aims to Enable Rapid Coagulation Assessment in Trauma
Severe blood loss and inadequate tissue oxygenation are leading causes of preventable death after traumatic injury. Blood products are essential in trauma care, but cold-chain storage, short shelf life,... Read moreMicrobiology
view channel
Rapid Host-Response Test Aims to Predict Corticosteroid Benefit in Sepsis
Sepsis and severe infections are difficult to treat because patients with similar clinical presentations may have very different underlying immune responses. Corticosteroids are commonly used in severe... Read more
Oral and Lung Microbiome Changes Linked to Severe Long Covid Symptoms
Long Covid can involve persistent respiratory, cognitive, and gastrointestinal symptoms after acute infection, creating a difficult diagnostic and management challenge. Because COVID-19 initially affects... Read morePathology
view channel
Molecular Testing Refines Barrett’s Esophagus Progression Risk Beyond Biopsy Findings
Barrett’s esophagus is a precancerous condition associated with increased risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. Routine endoscopic biopsy findings guide surveillance and therapy, but histopathology may not... Read more
Updated Digital Pathology Platform Expands AI Integration for Cancer Diagnosis
Digital pathology is reshaping how laboratories manage case review, image analysis, and collaboration. As diagnostic workflows become more complex, pathology teams need platforms that can support digital... Read moreTechnology
view channelLaser-Based Swab Analysis Shows Promise for Detecting Disease-Linked Odor Patterns
Disease-related changes in volatile organic compounds can alter body odor, producing measurable patterns in exhaled breath and bodily fluids. Current analytical methods can be complex, time-consuming,... Read more
Laser-Enhanced Assay Boosts Sensitivity for Colorectal Cancer Biomarker Detection
Colorectal cancer is the third most commonly diagnosed cancer and the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Early detection remains critical, but cancer biomarkers can produce only faint... Read moreIndustry
view channel
Global TB Summit Connects Diagnostic Testing With Prevention and Clinical Care
Tuberculosis remains a major global infectious disease challenge despite declining deaths. In 2024, an estimated 10.7 million people worldwide developed the disease and nearly 1.2 million died from it.... Read more







