Roche at-home COVID rapid test gets USFDA approval

The FDA's EUA decision stems from Roche's participation in the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics' (RADx) Independent Test Assessment Program (ITAP), which aims to accelerate the regulatory review and availability of high-quality, accurate and reliable OTC tests to the American public. The COVID-19 At-Home Test was prioritised by the FDA based on Roche and SD Biosensor's ability to deliver large quantities of high-quality tests and ramp up manufacturing to meet future demands.

Starting in January, the COVID-19 At-Home Test will be available across the United States and in accordance with local guidelines and testing strategies. At the time of launch, Roche has the capacity to produce tens of millions of tests per month to help support the pandemic response. The COVID-19 At-Home Test offers a convenient frequent testing option without the need to visit a healthcare provider.

"The COVID-19 pandemic continues to shed light on the critically important role that rapid self-testing plays in empowering individuals to protect their personal health and the health of their families and communities," said Thomas Schinecker, CEO, Roche Diagnostics. "At this inflection point in the American public's fight against COVID-19, we are proud to have worked in close collaboration with the US Government to introduce and expand access to accurate, reliable and high-quality at-home tests."

"Expanding access to rapid testing solutions for all patients in the United States is essential to public health and the pandemic response," said Matt Sause, President & CEO of Roche Diagnostics North America. "As long as there remains a need for reliable testing, Roche will continue to invest in effective solutions to ensure there are testing options available to those who need them."

Together with the COVID-19 At-Home Test, Roche will offer NAVIFY Pass as a solution to organizations who want to allow individuals and health care professionals to remotely and securely store, display, and share results. All COVID-19 At-Home Tests are supplied with a unique data matrix, enabling NAVIFY Pass to automatically link individuals' test results to their respective test devices.

The launch will be in partnership with SD Biosensor Inc., with whom Roche has a global distribution agreement and previously launched a range of tests throughout 2020 and 2021 in countries outside of the U.S. that accept the CE Mark, including the SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Tests (Nasopharyngeal/Nasal), SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Self Test Nasal, SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antibody Test and SARS-CoV-2 & Flu A/B Rapid Antigen Test.

The test becomes the first rapid antigen test for SARS-CoV-2 from Roche to receive FDA Emergency Use Authorization, and the sixth rapid test overall to accompany Roche's comprehensive portfolio of diagnostic solutions to help healthcare systems across the globe combat the COVID-19 pandemic through laboratory testing and at the point of care. 

Read also: Roche launches molecular diagnostics system Cobas 5800