Monkeypox: Roche bags USFDA EUA for RT-PCR test cobas MPXV

cobas MPXV targets two different regions of the MPXV genome, which are both less prone to mutations than other parts of the genome. This dual-target approach ensures that cobas MPXV will continue to detect the virus even if a mutation occurs in one of the target regions.

"When multiple clusters of monkeypox virus infection were initially reported in countries where the disease is not endemic, Roche was among the first companies to address virus concerns with test kits," said Thomas Schinecker, CEO of Roche Diagnostics. "In order to meet the testing needs and workflow demands of laboratories as well as expand access to safe and reliable diagnostic solutions, we developed the cobas MPXV on the fully automated and high-throughput cobas 6800/8800 system."

The high-throughput solution can help individuals get the right results quickly. This is important so that patients are not subjected to unnecessary additional testing or isolation, and will have access to appropriate treatment as soon as possible.

Like many viruses, monkeypox cannot be conclusively diagnosed by symptoms alone. This is because many monkeypox symptoms closely resemble those of other rash-producing illnesses such as chickenpox, measles, bacterial skin infections, and even hives or allergies.

Symptoms of monkeypox include fever, chills, headaches, muscle aches, fatigue, swollen lymph nodes, and a painful rash that characteristically appears as raised bumps on the skin and tends to be distributed on the face, extremities, and genitals. As the disease progresses, these bumps fill with pus and fluid and become umbilicated. They will eventually ulcerate, scab, and fall off.