LabCorp HCV NS5A/NS5B Drug Resistance Assays

Laboratory Corporation of America has launched two new Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) drug resistance assays: the HCV NS5A and NS5B. The tests are available through Monogram Biosciences, a specialty testing group under LabCorp.

The HCV NS5B Drug Resistance Assay gauges whether an HCV patient is resistant to sofosbuvir, available as a single therapy and co-formulated with another agent ledipasvir. The HCV NS5A Drug Resistance Assay detects resistance to ledipasvir.

The two recently launched tests add to LabCorp’s portfolio of HCV resistance tests, including HCV GenoSure NS3/4A, launched in 2011. The other HCV resistance tests LabCorp markets detect whether patients are resistant to different components of FDA approved regimens, comprising paritaprevir, ombitasvir, and dasabuvir.

LabCorp's assays employ next-generation sequencing, which according to the firm enables better detection of small populations of drug resistant virus. These test are available for clinical testing, as well as to support the development of HCV direct acting antiviral agents for Covance customers.