GenScript Receives FDA Emergency Use Authorization for cPass™ SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization Antibody Detection Kit

GenScript USA Inc., the world's leading research reagent provider, announced today that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the cPass™ SARS-CoV-2 Neutralization Antibody Detection Kit. This is the first commercially available test to specifically detect neutralizing antibodies without the use of live virus. Neutralizing antibodies, a subset of antibodies that are specifically able to block the ability of the virus to enter a cell, are widely recognized biomarkers of immunity. The test measures the presence of neutralizing antibodies in any sample, from those from patients recovering from COVID-19 or those vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2. The conventional method for measuring neutralizing antibodies requires testing to be performed in a high safety-level facility (BSL3) staffed with specialized personnel. Typically, results from the live virus assay are available in several days and due to the unpredictable nature of the live virus and live cells reagents used, these tests are also difficult to standardize. Results from different facilities may vary, even if performed using the same protocol. In contrast, the cPass™ kit utilizes pure proteins that can be produced in a more reproducible way. The detection of the presence of neutralizing antibodies can also be performed in most standard research or clinical diagnostic laboratories with short turnaround time (~1hr), making it broadly available and much more consistent between different facilities. Furthermore, a comparison of the direct clinical performance between the conventional live virus and the cPass™ assay shows results from both tests are strongly correlated.