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
- Antibody Profiles Provide Clues to Long COVID Severity and Symptoms
- Aptamer-Based Biosensor Enables Mutation-Resilient SARS-CoV-2 Detection
- Metabolic Biomarker Distinguishes Latent from Active Tuberculosis and Tracks Treatment Response
- Study Points to Autoimmune Pathway Behind Long COVID Symptoms
- Immune Enzyme Linked to Treatment-Resistant Inflammatory Bowel Disease
- Simple Blood Test Could Replace Biopsies for Lung Transplant Rejection Monitoring
- Routine TB Screening Test May Reveal Immune Aging and Mortality Risk
- Biomarkers and Molecular Testing Advance Precision Allergy Care
- Point-of-Care Tests Could Expand Access to Mpox Diagnosis
- T-Cell Senescence Profiling May Predict CAR T Responses
- Finger-Prick Lateral Flow Test Detects Sepsis Biomarkers at Point of Care
- Study Highlights Low Sensitivity of Current Lyme Tests in Early Infection
- Immune Aging Clock Quantifies Immunosenescence and Identifies Therapeutic Target
- Study Finds Influenza Often Undiagnosed in Winter Deaths
- Combined Screening Approach Identifies Early Leprosy Cases
- Antibody Blood Test Identifies Active TB and Distinguishes Latent Infection
Channels
Clinical Chemistry
view channel
Simple Oral Swab Monitors Persistent Inflammation in Primary Ciliary Dyskinesia
Primary ciliary dyskinesia is a rare lung disease that affects about one in 7,500 to 10,000 live births worldwide. Symptoms can begin in the newborn period and progress to recurrent respiratory infections... Read more
Simple Blood-Based Cholesterol Efflux Assay Identifies High-Risk Coronary Plaque Features
Unstable coronary plaques are difficult to identify before they trigger acute cardiovascular events. Standard high-density lipoprotein (HDL) measurements do not always capture how well HDL particles function... Read moreMolecular Diagnostics
view channel
Long-Read DNA Test Improves Diagnosis of Rare Genetic Diseases
Rare diseases affect up to 400 million people worldwide, yet many remain difficult to diagnose and often require years-long diagnostic journeys. Approximately 80% have a genetic basis, but conventional... Read more
At-Home Urine Collection Kit Enables High-Throughput STI Screening
Sexually transmitted infection screening often hinges on access to private, convenient sample collection and timely laboratory processing. Many patients face logistical or privacy barriers that limit participation... Read more
Noninvasive Sequencing Test Approaches Invasive Genome Sequencing for Prenatal Screening
Prenatal genetic evaluation guides obstetric care, but standard diagnostics often require invasive procedures that carry risks, stress, and access barriers. Noninvasive prenatal testing (NIPT) has expanded... Read moreHematology
view channel
Next-Generation Hematology Platform Streamlines High-Complexity Lab Workflows
Sysmex America (Chicago, IL, USA) has introduced the next generation XR-Series, centered on the XR-10 Automated Hematology Module for high-complexity laboratories. The platform builds on the widely used... Read more
Blood Eosinophil Count May Predict Cancer Immunotherapy Response and Toxicity
Immune checkpoint inhibitors have improved outcomes across many cancers, yet only a subset of patients derive durable benefit and biomarkers to guide treatment remain limited. Eosinophils, best known for... Read moreMicrobiology
view channel
Rapid Molecular Screening Aims to Accelerate Hospital Infection Control for CPE
Drug-resistant infections remain a critical patient-safety threat in hospitals, with carbapenemase-producing Enterobacterales (CPE) among the most urgent concerns. In England, reports of acquired carbapenemase... Read more
New Protein Targets Support Diagnostics for Louse-Borne Relapsing Fever
Louse-borne relapsing fever is a neglected infection caused by Borrelia recurrentis and spread by body lice, with untreated mortality reaching up to 20%. Recurrent febrile episodes complicate recognition... Read more
TORCH Infection Trends Point to Need for Tailored Screening in Pregnancy
Congenital TORCH infections can be asymptomatic during pregnancy yet cause stillbirth, birth defects, and lifelong disability in infants. Many regions still lack robust surveillance to guide testing and... Read more
New Culture Medium Speeds C. difficile Resistance Detection and Reduces Costs
Clostridioides difficile infections remain a persistent threat in hospitals and communities, affecting about 500,000 people in the United States each year. Severe cases can be fatal within 30 days of diagnosis,... Read morePathology
view channel
New Companion Diagnostic Expands Precision Medicine in Prostate Cancer
Prostate cancer is a leading cancer diagnosis in men and becomes particularly aggressive when it presents as metastatic, hormone-sensitive disease. Tumors with loss of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN)... Read more
Uncertainty-Aware AI Platform Supports Automated HER2 Assessment in Breast Cancer
Accurate assessment of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is critical for breast cancer diagnosis and treatment selection, yet scoring variability and infrastructure requirements can complicate... Read more
AI Tool Speeds Brain Tumor Classification from Routine Histology Slides
Accurate classification of brain and spinal cord tumors increasingly depends on molecular profiling alongside histology, but access to such testing remains limited and results can take about two weeks.... Read more
IHC Companion Diagnostic Standardizes Mismatch Repair Testing for Cancer Immunotherapy
Deficient DNA mismatch repair is an established predictive biomarker for response to immune checkpoint inhibitors, yet access to standardized assessment has varied across tumor types. Cancer remains the... Read moreTechnology
view channel
AI Platform Links Biomarker Results to Cancer Clinical Trials and Guidelines
Oncology teams must manage growing volumes of genomic data, rapidly evolving clinical trial options, and frequently updated care guidelines, all within tight clinic schedules. Translating complex tumor... Read more
Agentic AI Platform Supports Genomic Decision-Making in Oncology
Oncology care teams increasingly face the challenge of managing complex molecular diagnostics, evolving treatment options, and extensive electronic health record documentation. Translating multimodal data... Read moreIndustry
view channel
Open-Source Consortium Aims to Standardize Digital Pathology Workflows
Digital pathology is expanding rapidly as laboratories adopt whole-slide imaging and computational tools to meet growing diagnostic and biomarker-testing demand. However, fragmented software infrastructure... Read more




.jpg)



