LONG ISLAND CITY, N.Y.– Pandemic Response Lab (PRL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Opentrons Labworks, Inc., today announced the launch in its Rockville, Maryland lab of its concise respiratory panel, which simultaneously tests four viruses: SARS-CoV-2, influenza A and B, and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV). This is the first of several infectious disease panels PRL will offer as it expands its diagnostics beyond SARS-CoV-2 testing.
Leveraging its existing automation and diagnostics expertise, PRL is able to provide this respiratory panel at less than $25, lower than the cost of many COVID-only PCR tests available. Compatible sample types include nasopharyngeal and anterior nares swabs, as well as saliva. PRL’s New York City lab will be offering this concise respiratory panel after its introduction in Maryland, pending regulatory approval.
“The signs and symptoms of respiratory disease cannot determine its cause, which is an essential need in the era of COVID-19. Simultaneous testing for some of the most common respiratory viruses allows for faster implementation of targeted interventions, such as isolation and antiviral treatments,” said PRL Laboratory Director, Samuel B. Reichberg, MD, Ph.D. “Leveraging Opentrons’ advanced robotic technology enables PRL to implement enhanced quality control and monitoring throughout the process, still at overall testing speeds that generally exceed those of equipment used by other laboratories and at a lower cost. It dramatically increases the availability of this essential diagnostic resource by avoiding tradeoffs between test accuracy, cost and turnaround times.”
PRL will leverage existing partnerships with hospitals, large physicians groups, the eldercare sector, urgent care centers and reference labs to introduce its concise respiratory panel to the market. PRL plans to release a 20-plus target comprehensive respiratory panel later this year, followed by other infectious disease panels and routine laboratory tests in the future.
