June 24, 2021—Thermo Fisher Scientific launched its CE-IVD-marked TaqPath COVID-19 Fast PCR Combo Kit 2.0. The kit uses an advanced assay design that compensates for current and emerging variants, the company says, by using eight targets across three genomic regions of the virus to help ensure the test provides accurate results even as the virus mutates.
“We are working to empower our customers to prepare for the next stage of the pandemic by future-proofing our test design against likely mutations and to provide continued confidence in their results,” Manoj Gandhi, MD, PhD, senior medical director, genetic sciences, Thermo Fisher, said in a press statement.
The TaqPath COVID-19 Fast PCR Combo Kit 2.0 test assesses raw saliva directly and has a turnaround time of two hours. The first generation TaqPath COVID-19 CE-IVD RT PCR Kit and the TaqPath COVID-19 Combo Kit, which use a different assay design, respectively, received CE-IVD certification and emergency use authorization in March 2020.