NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – Biocartis announced today that it is developing a blood-based Ebola test in collaboration with Janssen Diagnostics and the Institute for Tropical Medicine in Antwerp.
The Rapid Ebola Virus Triage Test is being designed to run on Biocartis' Idylla real-time PCR-based molecular diagnostics system, which is already CE-IVD marked in Europe. The platform takes approximately 90 minutes to analyze a blood sample and can be operated in both laboratory and field settings, according to the company.
Biocartis said it will initially test the device against synthetic virus samples in Belgium and the US and has registered to run trials in West Africa, where there is currently an Ebola outbreak, to gather additional clinical data on the test.
"This test aims not only to improve the diagnosis of the Ebola virus for hard-pressed healthcare professionals in the field, but to lay the foundations for a better and faster diagnostic infrastructure after the current outbreak has receded, both in this region and around the world," Biocartis CEO Rudi Pauwels said in a statement.
Biocartis and Janssen began working together in early 2011, inking a deal to co-develop assays for the Idylla platform. Under the arrangement, Janssen has the exclusive, worldwide rights to assays for neurological disorders and certain viral infections diseases.