Australia's SpeeDx Pty. Ltd., a developer of innovative molecular diagnostic solutions, has added saliva to the list of validated samples for their PlexPCR SARS-CoV-2 qPCR diagnostic for COVID-19 sales across Europe.

A preferred sample type for self-collection and compliance testing programs, the saliva claim will expand the utility of the SpeeDx COVID-19 workflow, and in partnership with the Molgen range of automation, will further support ultra-high throughput testing markets.

SpeeDx new head office facilities in Sydney have expanded the company’s manufacturing capacity to support growth in export sales, and as international travel increases, demand for both COVID-19 and other respiratory testing is ongoing.

PlexPCR RespiVirus, a highly multiplexed 11-target Respiratory viral panel that includes Influenza A, Influenza B, and Respiratory Syncytial Virus, can be run in parallel with PlexPCR SARS-CoV-2 for a more comprehensive testing solution and both are compatible with the SpeeDx PlexPrep robotic liquid handler, recently demonstrated to increase throughput 155% and reduce hands-on time 19% compared with a sample-to-answer testing solution.

The company also has a comprehensive range of reagents to support investigation of COVID-19 variants of concern including PlexPrime SARS-CoV-2 Alpha/Beta/Gamma+ which contains mutations that can distinguish circulating Omicron strains including both BA1 and BA2 variants.