Abbott Brings Home EUA for COVID-19 Test

The Abbott Park, IL-based company said it would deploy about 150,000 laboratory tests immediately and wanted to ramp up production to one million tests per week by the end of the month.

Omar Ford

March 19, 2020

1 Min Read
Abbott Brings Home EUA for COVID-19 Test
Image by geralt on Pixabay

Abbott Laboratories, one of the biggest players in the medical device space, has obtained Emergency Use Authorization for a test to detect the coronavirus [COVID-19]. The Abbott Park, IL-based company joins the rapidly expanding list of companies that have received EUA designation in the past few days.

The firm’s RealTime SARS-CoV-2 EUA test can be used on its molecular instrument, the m2000 RealTime System, by authorized laboratories in the U.S.

"Our scientists, many of whom worked on Abbott's first HIV test and the Zika tests, worked around the clock to develop these molecular tests," Daman Kowalski, vice president and head of, Molecular Diagnostics at Abbott said in a release. "Providing people at the frontlines of this pandemic with critical tests will help ensure proper care for patients and help protect our communities."

Abbott will deploy about 150,000 laboratory tests immediately. The firm said it will scale up production at its U.S. manufacturing location to reach capacity for one million tests per week by the end of the month.

While the U.S. has seen an explosion of tests in recent days, it is considered behind other countries in its testing efforts, according to a report from The New York Times.

During a press conference on Wednesday, President Donald Trump announced there would be plans to expand testing in the U.S. noting that several ‘groups’ were working to see if the self-swab test were as accurate and effective as the manual approach.

In the U.S. there have been 9,479 COVID-19 cases with 155 deaths according to worldometer.com. The website’s statistics also show that 108 people have recovered.

About the Author

Omar Ford

Omar Ford is a veteran reporter in the field of medical technology and healthcare journalism. As Editor-in-Chief of MD+DI (Medical Device and Diagnostics Industry), a leading publication in the industry, Ford has established himself as an authoritative voice and a trusted source of information.

Ford, who has a bachelor's degree in print journalism from the University of South Carolina, has dedicated his career to reporting on the latest advancements and trends in the medical device and diagnostic sector.

During his tenure at MD+DI, Ford has covered a wide range of topics, including emerging medical technologies, regulatory developments, market trends, and the rise of artificial intelligence. He has interviewed influential leaders and key opinion leaders in the field, providing readers with valuable perspectives and expert analysis.

 

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