Original from: Genomeweb

Image Credit: Shutterstock/testing

Siemens Healthineers on Thursday announced a collaboration with A1 Life Sciences to offer an evolving portfolio of PCR-based assays for the identification of SARS-CoV-2 mutations and variants.

Erlangen, Germany-based Siemens said a portfolio of A1 Life Sciences' Diagnovital kits will complement its FTD SARS-CoV-2 Assay intended for the initial diagnosis of 

SARS-CoV-2. 

When the FTD SARS-CoV-2 Assay detects a positive sample, the residual nucleic acid extracted from the sample can be reflex tested by an A1 Diagnovital kit or a combination of the kits to detect whether the sample harbors a mutation or variant of concern. 

The A1 Diagnovital portfolio, as distributed by Siemens, will be offered for research use only internationally but will not be offered initially in the US.

Financial and other terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Siemens said that testing will be highly adaptable given the certainty that further mutations and variants will emerge and uncertainty whether the variants will become variants of concern. 

It said that with the collaboration, laboratories can select specific assays to create a testing scheme based on mutations prevalent in a region, using the single-mutation formatted assays that are part of the A1 Diagnovital portfolio.

Source: Siemens Healthineers, A1 Life Sciences Ink Agreement to Provide SARS-CoV-2 Variant Assays