| News
Roche launches new coronavirus antibody test
18.09.2020
Roche is launching on the market a new antibody test to determine coronavirus infections. This should help with the development of vaccines. In addition, a drug from the Basel-based pharma giant has proven to be effective against coronavirus-associated pneumonia.

Roche Headquarter in Basel
Roche is launching a new antibody test that will identify people to have already been infected with coronavirus whose bodies have now developed antibodies against the virus. The test should help in developing vaccines against SARS-CoV-2. In specific terms, the test focuses on antibodies against the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2. The majority of vaccine candidates are aimed at inducing an antibody reaction against the spike protein.
The test will initially be launched in countries that accept that CE mark of the European Union (EU), as detailed in a press release. Roche has, however, also applied for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The new test is actually the Basel-based pharma group’s twelfth coronavirus test in its testing portfolio.
In addition to launching a new test, Roche has also announced a success in relation to its drug Actemra/RoActemra. This has proven to be successful in treating patients suffering from pneumonia linked to a coronavirus infection. Patients that were administered Actemra/RoActemra in addition to the standard treatment, were 44 percent less likely to require ventilation or die as the disease progressed in comparison with those patients to receive only standard treatment and a placebo.
Share this article
Sign up to receive our newsletter in your inbox.
You may also be interested in
Basel Area has ever more to offer investors
The canton of Basel-Stadt has displayed the most striking performance in the Swiss Venture Capital Report. Last year, more than...
Read MoreBasel researchers developing universal cancer therapy
Researchers from Basel are working on the development of a therapy in which pre-prepared immune cells can be used to...
Read MoreOpterion Health AG moving to Muttenz
Opterion is moving from the canton of Obwalden to Muttenz in the canton of Basel-Landschaft in order to benefit from...
Read MoreEvolva brings natural sugar blocker to market
The biotech company Evolva is introducing L-arabinose to the market. This product is a natural sugar blocker and can be...
Read MoreHolmusk opens new office in Basel
Holmusk has opened an office in Basel. The company from Singapore develops digital therapies on the basis of data analysis....
Read MoreZifo RnD Solutions coming to Basel
Zifo RnD Solutions, a global provider of IT solutions for research-based organizations, opens its latest subsidiary in Basel. With Zifo...
Read More