Sengenics, based in Singapore, has announced the launch of SEROMAX, a sample collection kit which only requires a pin-prick amount of blood for quantifying antibodies or autoantibodies.

Conventional antibody sample collection methods require patients to visit a clinical site where a physician would commonly need to draw a minimum of 0.5 ml of blood. This is followed by costly cold chain processes before the sample reaches a test laboratory for assay and analysis. By using a proprietary matrix to stabilise antibodies, the SEROMAX kit simplifies this process, enabling shipping at room temperature. This is then combined with the ultra-high sensitivity of KREX protein arrays to produce results that are identical to conventionally collected samples.

“The ability to do remote antibody sample collection, for example at home, at work or at a field site, and to deliver samples to a testing lab at room temperature is incredibly powerful. Our standard protocol with KREX arrays only requires 1 microlitre of serum or plasma with a linearity detection in the order of 4 to 5 magnitudes at a picogram detection level. Using the SEROMAX kit allows us to recover sufficient antibodies from whole blood to perform high-plex immuno-profiling assays, with a high correlation (up to 0.98) with assay data on serum prepared by standard methods,” said Professor Jonathan Blackburn, CSO, Sengenics.

One of the most common delays that clinical trials face is in patient follow-up. With SEROMAX enabling at-home sample collection, follow-ups in relevant clinical trials can be simplified, without compromising the quality of subsequent serological assays. SEROMAX also enables monitoring of any flare-up events patients may experience following routine treatments, without requiring regular return visits to a clinic to access a trained phlebotomist.

This kit can benefit researchers working in the COVID-19 R&D space with sample collection for seroprevalence studies and for monitoring of vaccine trials. The utilisation of SEROMAX addresses concerns an individual may have towards enrolment and continued participation throughout a vaccine trial by providing participants an easy alternative without leaving the safety of their home.