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Roche granted FDA clearance for BK virus test to support better care for transplant patients

New test expands Roche molecular test menu for transplant patients, enabling simultaneous testing of BK virus with Cytomegalovirus and Epstein-Barr virus

7 Sept 2020
Diane Li
Assistant Editor

Industry news

Roche has announced U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) 510k clearance for the cobas® BKV Test on the cobas® 6800 and 8800 Systems. The test was previously granted FDA Breakthrough Device designation demonstrating the improved treatment or diagnosis of life-threatening diseases or conditions for transplant patients. The test provides standardised, high-quality results that can help healthcare professionals better assess the risk of complications caused by the BK virus in transplant patients and identify effective treatment options.

BK virus (BKV) is a member of the polyomavirus family that can cause severe transplant-associated complications. Infection can occur without symptoms and happen early in life. After primary infection, the virus can remain inactive, only to possibly reactivate in immunocompromised individuals such as transplant recipients.

“Our diagnostic tests can help clinicians greatly improve patient treatment plans and make quick adjustments for personalised healthcare,” said Thomas Schinecker, CEO Roche Diagnostics. “This FDA clearance allows Roche to offer healthcare professionals a transplant testing portfolio that includes Cytomegalovirus, Epstein-Barr virus and BK virus so they can simultaneously monitor and improve care for transplant patients who are at risk for these common infections or viral reactivations which can cause further illness or death.”

The cobas BKV Test is a polymerase chain reaction (PCR) viral load test that runs on the fully automated and widely available cobas® 6800 and cobas® 8800 Systems. Along with the previously approved cobas® EBV and CMV Tests, the cobas BKV Test has been calibrated to the World Health Organization (WHO) International Standard. This means that test results are reported in international units, making it possible for laboratories anywhere in the U.S. to obtain comparable results when measuring levels of BKV DNA.

About the cobas BKV Test

The cobas BKV Test was previously granted Breakthrough Device Designation by the FDA, together with the cobas EBV Test.

The cobas BKV Test is a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test with dual-target technology that provides quantitative accuracy and guards against the risk of sequence variations that may be present in the BK virus. The cobas BKV Test has robust coverage with a limit of detection of 21.5 IU/mL and an expanded linear range from 21.5 IU/mL to 1E+08 IU/mL in EDTA plasma.

The test offers an alternative to lab-developed tests (LDTs) or Analyte Specific Reagent (ASR) combinations, potentially minimising variability and complexity in testing, reducing workload and alleviating risk for laboratories. The test supports the goal of result standardisation across institutions by providing reproducible, high-quality results for clinical decision-making.

The fully automated cobas BKV Test and the cobas CMV and cobas EBV Tests can run on the cobas 6800/8800 Systems simultaneously, providing absolute automation with proven performance and flexibility, leading to time savings and increased efficiency.

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Roche granted FDA clearance for BK virus test to support better care for transplant patients