July 14, 2021—Bio-Rad launched its Reliance SARS-CoV-2/FluA/FluB RT-PCR Kit (IVD) for European markets after having met the CE-IVD mark requirements.
The Reliance SARS-CoV-2/FluA/FluB RT-PCR Kit (IVD) is a single molecular test designed for clinical diagnostic labs that conduct COVID-19 testing. The panel detects the nucleocapsid gene of SARS-CoV-2, the M1 gene of flu A, and the NS2 gene of flu B in nasopharyngeal swab specimens from individuals suspected of being infected by COVID-19. The assay for SARS-CoV-2 is designed to target the nucleocapsid gene instead of the spike protein gene, so the assay’s performance is “not affected by the known coronavirus variants, as determined by in silico analysis (as of March 2021),” the company reported in a press statement. The assay kit contains Bio-Rad’s standard and negative molecular controls as well as reagents.
The kit is validated to run on Bio-Rad’s CFX96 Dx Real-Time PCR system and real-time PCR systems from other manufacturers.