Test Selectively Identifies Influenza A Virus H1N1

By LabMedica International staff writers
Posted on 11 May 2009

A test that has been developed for the new variant of the influenza A virus H1N1 will be launched initially in Europe and Asia.

TIB Molbiol (Berlin, Germany), a cooperation partner of Roche Applied Science (Indianapolis, IN, USA), announced that the company's LightMix A test has been optimized for Roche LightCycler 480 II, 2.0, and 1.2 systems and selectively identifies the new Influenza A H1N1 virus.

"We are proud of our contribution in the battle against a potential pandemic. The new test proved its suitability this week, after identifying the virus in sample materials from Mexico," said Olfert Landt, TIB Molbiol.

Currently, there is no human vaccine on the market that protects against infection by influenza A virus H1N1. Standard therapy for the disease includes treatment with antiviral drugs such as Tamiflu or Relenza.

TIB Molbiol offers custom synthesis of oligonucleotides to a growing number of customers worldwide and is one of the first suppliers of synthetic DNA on the European market. The core competence of the company lies in the development of real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays for medical diagnostics, life science research, and environmental analysis.

Related Links:
TIB Molbiol
Roche Applied Science