Beckman Coulter announced its Access SARS-CoV-2 Immunoglobulin M (IgM) assay has received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The assay detects antibodies that recognize the receptor binding domain (RBD) of the spike protein which the SARS-CoV-2 virus uses to enter the human host cells. The assay, which demonstrates 99.9% specificity and 98.3% sensitivity, is part of a suite of diagnostic solutions being developed by Beckman Coulter in response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic to guide physicians and patients in their healthcare decision making.

"Since March, the Beckman Coulter team has worked around the clock to develop a suite of assays that play a critical role in the ongoing global fight against COVID-19," said Julie Sawyer Montgomery, president of Beckman Coulter. "As a science-driven company, we continue in our commitment to deliver rigorously validated diagnostics of the highest quality that provide meaningful information, so doctors and patients alike can trust the results for urgent, care decisions."

Beckman Coulter's suite of COVID-19 testing solutions includes the Access SARS-CoV-2 IgM assay and the Access SARS CoV-2 IgG assay, which received EUA in June. The company also recently received FDA Emergency Use Authorization for its interleukin 6 (IL-6) assay, which can be used to assist in identifying severe inflammatory response in patients with confirmed COVID 19 illness to aid in determining the risk of intubation with mechanical ventilation, in conjunction with clinical findings and the results of other laboratory testing. Beckman Coulter is also currently developing a SARS-CoV-2 antigen assay as well as a quantitative IgG assay anticipated to be launched later this year.