South Korean biotechnology company Seegene Inc., a molecular diagnostics company, announced recently that its Allplex  SARS-CoV-2 / FluA / FluB / RSV assays for extraction-free use are now available are available in Europe. Seegene had already received the CE-IVD mark for this product in September so that it could be launched across Europe from October.

Seegene's Allplex SARS-CoV-2 / FluA / FluB / RSV Assay is a real-time RT-PCR assay that can simultaneously detect and distinguish eight target genes, including influenza A / B and RSV A / B, and three different ones COVID-19 targets (S-Gen, RdRP-Gen and N-Gen). This makes it the first and only test worldwide with this ability. The assay also includes two internal control targets (endogenous and exogenous) in the same reaction tube, allowing verification of the entire test procedure and proper sampling without affecting the accuracy of the test results.

The extraction-free use of the Allplex SARS-CoV-2 / FluA / FluB / RSV assay is of great importance for combating the COVID-19 pandemic, as flu and colds are also rampant in winter. Whereas extraction devices were previously required to carry out molecular diagnostic tests, thanks to the option for extraction-free use, laboratories without this equipment can now examine samples for COVID-19 in an even faster throughput time (TAT). This technological advance not only saves time and money when testing for the new type of coronavirus, it also enables laboratories that previously had no testing facility at all to carry out mass tests.

A representative from Seegene expressed his hope that the extraction-free application of the assay would help bring the pandemic in Europe under control quickly. The company also expressed confidence that the addition of the new feature will enable labs around the world to use test kits more widely. According to Worldometer, the number of people infected with COVID-19 worldwide was 17,148,406 in November alone, with the numbers being highest in the US and Europe.