바이오스펙테이터

바이오스펙테이터 Sungmin Kim 기자

Seegene, a single diagnostic product for the virus with similar symptoms such as COVID-19 and respiratory diseases...Dual control technology to automatically check test accuracy

Seegene, a molecular diagnostics company, announced on the 8th that it will launch 'AllplexTM SARS-CoV/FluA/FluB/RSV Assay' diagnostic product that can test for various respiratory viruses along with the COVID 19 virus in the global market in September.

This product is a single test for △COVID-19 virus (N, RdRP, S 3 genes) △ Flu influenza A, B △ Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) A and B, which can cause colds and severe bronchiolitis from infants to all ages. It is a new concept multiplex diagnostic product that can test 5 kinds of viruses at once. The company predicts that rapid and accurate treatment based on causes will be possible by accurately identifying and diagnosing five viruses with similar clinical symptoms.

In order to simultaneously diagnose five types of viruses that cause respiratory infectious diseases, it is important to quickly and stably detect each gene according to the virus type. A product that applied Seegene's “real-time multiplex diagnostic technology” that accurately detected four genes (N, RdRP, S, E) in COVID-19 virus was launched in April.

The new product to be released this time uses 'dual controls (Dual Exo & Endo IC)' technology and artificial intelligence (AI) that can closely monitor the sample collection and testing process to accurately detect multiple viruses. It is now possible to automatically check the validity and accuracy of the test process.

For an accurate test, a sample in the unit of “epithelial cells” that caused the virus to infect must be collected, and a technology to extract nucleic acids from the infectious virus is essential. The dual control technology applied with five kinds of virus genes is a product that can monitor the effectiveness of the collected samples and the accuracy of the test process.

Influenza A and B and respiratory syncytial virus are pathogens that are the main causes of respiratory infectious diseases that are prevalent from late autumn to early spring every year. Symptoms such as fever, cough, and sore throat are similar to currently spreading COVID-19, which can lead to confusion in diagnosis and treatment. In particular, COVID-19 patients who need isolation and intensive treatment must be treated separately, so rapid and accurate testing is essential.

An official from Seegene said, “Seegene's new product equipped with dual control technology will have a positive effect on the patient, as well as the suspicion of infection, and the contact about 'self-sample collection'. This self-sample collection can cause sample reliability problems. However, if the patient himself collects the specimen, it is possible to eliminate direct contact between the medical worker and the patient, which can significantly reduce the risk of test bottlenecks and hospital infections, and has an advantage in controlling the demand for quarantine equipment. There has already been implemented in some countries abroad.”