LumiraDx COVID-19 & Flu A/B Rapid Antigen Test Achieves CE Marking

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 24 Dec 2021

Image: LumiraDx SARS-CoV-2 & Flu A/B Antigen Test (Photo courtesy of LumiraDx)

LumiraDx (London, UK) has achieved CE Marking for its SARS-CoV-2 & Flu A/B Antigen Test.

The microfluidic immunofluorescence assay can quickly verify potential infection for patients suspected of influenza and/or COVID-19, helping to identify and differentiate the underlying cause of respiratory illness and to inform treatment decisions at the point of care. For SARS-CoV-2, the test has a positive percent agreement of up to 95.5% and a negative percent agreement of up to 99.2% versus RT-PCR, based on clinical data collected 0-12 days since symptom onset. For Influenza, the test demonstrated a positive percent agreement of 83.3% (Flu A) and 80% (Flu B) and a negative percent agreement of 97.5% (Flu A) and 95.3% (Flu B) versus RT-PCR, based on retrospective samples collected during 2019-2020 influenza season.

The test's availability comes at a critical time as Europe has entered respiratory illness season, which typically runs November to April, while continuing to deal with increasing rates of COVID-19. The SARS-CoV-2 & Flu A/B Antigen Test helps distinguish between the viral respiratory infections SARS-CoV-2 and influenza while also differentiating between influenza A and influenza B. This is important as the presenting symptoms overlap and guidance of underlying infection is required in determining appropriate interventions and treatments. The detection of SARS-CoV-2, influenza A, and influenza B viral antigen is direct from nasal swab specimens collected from individuals suspected of viral infection consistent with COVID-19 or influenza-like illness by their healthcare provider. Existing respiratory tests on the LumiraDx Platform include the company's SARS-CoV-2 Antigen, SARS-CoV-2 Antibody and SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Pool tests which achieved CE Marking in August 2020, September 2020 and March 2021, respectively.

"Our SARS-CoV-2 & Flu A/B Test builds upon the same microfluidic technology used with our highly sensitive SARS-CoV-2 Ag test which has demonstrated market-leading clinical performance," explained Ron Zwanziger, LumiraDx's Chief Executive Officer. "This season, we are not only experiencing increased rates of COVID-19 with the Omicron variant, but also beginning to see influenza activity throughout the European Region for the first time since the pandemic began. Rapid identification of the underlying cause of respiratory illness is important in guiding appropriate clinical decisions, helping to improve patient outcomes and patient workflows."

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