New Test Authorized to Measure SARS-CoV-2 Antibody Levels

Roche Diagnostics announced that its Elecsys® Anti-SARS-CoV-2 S antibody test has received Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. FDA. The serology (blood) test can be used to measure the level of antibodies in people who have been exposed to the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The new test targets antibodies that are directed against the region of the novel coronavirus known as the spike protein, specifically the area that enables the virus to bind to a host cell receptor, which is required for the virus to enter the host cell.

'Many current candidate vaccines aim to induce an antibody response against the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein. Tests that quantify antibodies to the spike protein could be used to measure the level of that response and track that measurement over time,' stated Roche's press release issued on December 2, 2020.

Thomas Schinecker, CEO of Roche Diagnostics said: “Antibody tests like these will play a critical role in measuring a person’s vaccine-induced immune response”.