Faced with the rapid spread of the Omicron XBB.1.5 sub-variant in the United States, the Swiss pharmaceutical group Roche is launching a PCR test to facilitate understanding of the virus. Developed with its German subsidiary TIB Molbiol, this PCR test should also help track down this variant of Covid-19 which is also spreading rapidly in other countries, the Swiss group said in the press release on Thursday.
Intended solely for research, this test should make it possible to “understand this new strain, how it differs from other variants and what impact it could have on public health”, as explained by Matt Sause, the new director of the Diagnostics division.
Specialist in the creation of medical tests
The group based in Basel, where pharmaceutical companies in Switzerland are concentrated, had quickly developed tools for detecting and analyzing the coronavirus from the start of the pandemic with the help of its German partner TIB Molbiol, which it has since repurchased.
The group specializing in oncology relies on a large division specializing in diagnostics, in particular for cancer screening. This division had in a few months developed a range of tests for Covid-19, including PCR tests, antigen tests and tests to distinguish Covid-19 from influenza.