NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) — Cepheid said today that it has received CE marking for Xpert Flu/RSV XC, an on-demand molecular test for determination of influenza A and B infection and differentiation of respiratory syncytial virus infection.
The new test runs on Cepheid's GeneXpert system, of which more than 7,000 are installed worldwide, Cepheid said.
"We employed a novel in silico approach to identify multiple complementary target segments to avoid the effects of seasonal genetic drift and to anticipate emerging novel influenza strains," Cepheid Chief Medical and Technology Officer David Persing said in a statement. "Though simple to perform, Xpert Flu/RSV XC is a highly multiplexed, state-of-the-art test for rapid and accurate detection and differentiation of Flu A, Flu B, and RSV infection."
Persing added that the test "may also become a valuable asset in efforts toward pandemic preparedness because it was designed from its inception to provide unprecedented coverage of avian influenza strains."