A new test being developed by molecular diagnostics company Cepheid gained support from federal agencies this week, on the promise that it could become a one-stop-shop for diagnosing COVID-19, influenza, and RSV.
Support is coming from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) and U.S. Department of Defense’s (DoD) Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) and the U.S. Army Medical Materiel Development Activity (USAMMDA). Together with Cepheid, these partners hope to utilize the tool to differentiate between patients for COVID-19 or influenza in the upcoming flu season.
The diagnostic has already completed the development and studies required for Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). That EUA was granted in September.
The test will be deployed on those with fever and respiratory symptoms. It is designed to work quickly to determine cases of SARS-CoV-2, Influenza A, Influenza B, and RSV. It operates on single patient samples and will utilize Cepheid’s GeneXpert systems in both lab and point-of-care settings.