QIAGEN to Launch QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2 For Research Into Causes, Spread and Control of COVID-19 Through T-cell Response

• T-cell response has the potential to give a clearer picture of immunity and course of illness 

• T-cell response to SARS-CoV-2 may decline less rapidly than antibodies

• Potentially vital tool for research into immune response and vaccination efficacy

HILDEN, Germany & GERMANTOWN, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--QIAGEN N.V. (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) announced today the launch of its QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2 RUO solution that can detect T-cell responses of the human immune system to the pathogen that causes COVID-19, which could help researchers find out more about immunity levels and disease progression.

Studies suggest that T-cell response to SARS-CoV-2 declines much more slowly than antibody response, which presents several benefits to researchers who want to push beyond the existing detection of active infections to screen for potential courses of the illness and long-term immune responses to it. QIAGEN’s QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2 Research Use Only (RUO) solution could be a valuable tool in this research.

There is also growing evidence that T-cell response gives a reliable indication of how severe the course of an illness triggered by SARS-CoV-2 will be in infected patients, and how immune those who have recovered remain months – possibly even years – after having been infected.

QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2 RUO is a flexible, modular system designed to meet a wide range of research demands. It is based on QIAGEN’s easy-to-use QuantiFERON technology, pioneered in the QuantiFERON-TB Gold Plus test for latent tuberculosis and recognized worldwide for its ability to detect interferon gamma that T-cells release upon contact with certain pathogens.

QuantiFERON SARS-CoV-2 RUO is a crucial addition to QIAGEN’s growing COVID-19 portfolio that already provides sample-preparation technology, infection testing with polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology, antibody and antigen tests, enzymes and automation solutions.

Please find the full press release here