Assay launched to detect a patient's COVID-19 antibody levels

Clinical diagnostics firm Beckman Coulter has launched its Access SARS-CoV-2 IgG II assay in countries accepting the CE mark. The new Access SARS-CoV-2 IgG II assay quantitatively measures a patient’s level of antibodies in response to a previous SARS-CoV-2 infection. 

The ability to establish a quantitative baseline to evaluate an individual’s immune response to the SARS-CoV-2 virus allows clinicians to assess relative changes of an individual’s immune response to the virus over time based on a numerical value. The assay may also help researchers as they begin to understand the levels of IgG antibodies needed to be considered protective. 

Shamuram R Feinglass, chief medical officer at Beckman Coulter, said: “Having a clearer picture of the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 plays an important role in the fight against COVID-19, especially before a vaccine is widely available. Determining a quantifiable baseline is a critical step towards furthering the understanding of the adaptive immune response to SARS-CoV-2 in individuals over time.”

The Access SARS-CoV-2 IgG II quantitative assay is the latest addition to Beckman Coulter’s suite of testing solutions designed to provide valuable information to clinicians in their fight against COVID-19. Beckman Coulter also recently launched an automated SARS-CoV-2 antigen test in the US under Policy C of the FDA’s emergency use authorisation (EUA) program. While several point of care (POC) antigen tests are now available to help increase testing beyond current levels, POC tests come with workflow challenges when scaled to large patient populations.

The assay separates sample collection and processing, enabling test providers to leverage the existing infrastructure and workflows. 

Results of the new Access SARS-CoV-2 IgG II test are delivered on Beckman Coulter’s immunoassay analysers, including the DxI 800 high-throughput analyser, which is capable of processing up to 200 samples per hour.