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US-based molecular diagnostic product company Asuragen has developed an Armored RNA Quant SARS-CoV-2 Control for use in developing assays to meet the urgent medical needs raised by coronavirus (Covid-19).
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The company’s Armored RNA Quant technology has been included in FDA-approved assays for more than 20 years.
It is considered the gold standard for reliable, traceable standards for use with molecular assays intended for virus quantitation.
The Armored RNA Quant SARS-CoV-2 Control targets the SARS-CoV-2 viral nucleocapsid (N) region. Along with the company’s new RNAse P construct, it aligns with the CDC and WHO-recommended Diagnostic Panel (CDC-006-00019) to offer a safe way to test for Covid-19.
The company’s technology encapsulates the in vitro transcribed RNA in a protective protein coat to resist nuclease degradation, allowing its use as RNA extraction, process quality, and positive diagnostic reference controls.
Asuragen president and CEO Matthew McManus said: “As the global healthcare community works to contain the spread of this disease, expediting the development of rapid and accurate testing is of paramount importance for laboratories everywhere.
“With our new SARS-CoV-2 Control, we are committed to supporting these efforts as we collectively work to identify, and ultimately care for, those affected with Covid-19.”
The infectious nature of Covid-19 has triggered a global effort to enable rapid and accurate testing for the SARS-CoV-2 virus.
The 2019 novel coronavirus (2019-nCoV), which originated in China, has spread to approximately 140 countries. World Health Organization (WHO) recently declared the disease as a global pandemic.
Last November, Asuragen collaborated with Wave Life Sciences to develop a companion diagnostics (CDx) for Huntington’s disease (HD) gene therapies.
