Sema4 Launches High-Capacity COVID-19 Testing to Address Critical Need Across Connecticut and New York

Leading health intelligence company is also playing a prominent role in multiple research programs to help better understand and combat COVID-19

STAMFORD, Conn.--()--Sema4, a patient-centered health intelligence company, today announced that it is now performing rapid molecular testing for the detection of SARS-CoV-2, the coronavirus responsible for COVID-19. Sema4 is partnering with the state of Connecticut and regional healthcare providers to address the pressing need for high-throughput testing, including regular screening of medical personnel and other high-risk populations. Doctors in Connecticut and New York are able to order the test. Sema4 is processing samples in its state-of-the-art clinical laboratory, which can analyze 6,000 COVID-19 tests per week and return results within 24-48 hours.

In addition to patient testing, Sema4 is involved in several COVID-19-focused research programs. Sema4 seeks to accelerate the development of quantitative, serum-based antibody tests, which will not only help healthcare providers understand the extent of SARS-CoV-2 infection, but will also identify people who have previously been exposed to the virus and developed immunity, some of whom may be appropriate as blood donors that can be used to treat the sickest SARS-CoV-2-infected patients. The company will also utilize its sophisticated whole genome sequencing to track the evolution and spread of SARS-CoV-2 and will combine this with multi-dimensional patient data to build predictive modeling for clinical outcomes.

“With our proximity to the epicenter of the worst COVID-19 outbreak in the United States, we desperately need increased testing capacity and reliable results reported as quickly as possible,” said Josh Geballe, Chief Operating Officer for the State of Connecticut. “We deeply appreciate the investment made by Sema4 to quickly ramp up COVID-19 testing to help us both increase testing rates in the short term and advance our understanding of this coronavirus so we can better manage and track SARS-CoV-2 infections in the longer term.”

Eric Schadt, PhD, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Sema4, added: “During this difficult time, the Sema4 team is eager to join the fight to combat COVID-19 and to help people across Connecticut and New York. After delivering accurate testing results to hundreds of thousands of patients every year, we are ready to apply our clinical expertise and substantial laboratory resources to the COVID-19 crisis, giving much-needed information quickly to our provider partners and their patients.”

The COVID-19 tests performed by Sema4 have been validated in accordance with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s Emergency Use Authorization and are processed in the company’s CLIA-licensed and CAP-compliant laboratory. Samples are collected by a healthcare provider via nasal or oral swab, and testing is offered with no out-of-pocket cost to insured patients. The state of Connecticut will cover testing costs for uninsured residents.

For more information, including how healthcare providers can order the test, please visit https://sema4.com/covid19-testing.

About Sema4

Sema4 is a patient-centered health intelligence company founded on the idea that more information, deeper analysis, and increased engagement will improve the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease. Sema4 is dedicated to transforming healthcare by building dynamic models of human health and defining optimal, individualized health trajectories, starting in the areas of reproductive health and oncology. Centrellis™, our innovative health intelligence platform, is enabling us to generate a more complete understanding of disease and wellness and to provide science-driven solutions to the most pressing medical needs. Sema4 believes that patients should be treated as partners, and that data should be shared for the benefit of all.

For more information, please visit sema4.com and connect with Sema4 on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook and YouTube.

Contacts

Radley Moss for Sema4
radley.moss@sema4.com

Release Summary

Sema4 is partnering with the state of Connecticut and regional healthcare providers to address the pressing need for high-throughput COVID-19 testing

Contacts

Radley Moss for Sema4
radley.moss@sema4.com