Thermo Fisher Launches CE-IVD Marked Next-Generation TaqPath COVID-19 RNase P 2.0 Assay Kit

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. (Waltham, MA, USA) has launched the CE-IVD marked TaqPath COVID-19 RNase P 2.0 kit, a newly designed test that provides accurate results by compensating for current and future COVID-19 viral mutations.

The kit has been redesigned to detect active SARS-CoV-2 infections by identifying the presence of any one of eight gene targets from the virus. By surveying across multiple genes, the test can net accurate results even as mutations shift the genes they express. The TaqPath COVID-19 RNase P 2.0 kit uses an RNase P control to ensure sample integrity, quality and extraction.

The TaqPath COVID-19 RNase P 2.0 kit uses a newly designed assay to assess nasopharyngeal and nasal swab samples to detect active COVID-19 cases. The test has a turnaround time of about three hours. The first-generation test, TaqPath COVID-19 CE-IVD RT PCR Kit, has been available with a CE-IVD mark since March 2020.

"SARS-CoV-2 is continuing to mutate, and this assay is the latest in our efforts to make sure our tests are future proofed against those variants," said Manoj Gandhi, senior medical director for genetic testing solutions, Thermo Fisher Scientific. "With this product, we are offering customers the next generation of our COVID-19 diagnostic test that has inbuilt checks and balances in the face of emerging variants."