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Home 5 Articles 5 Cloud-Based Platform Enlists Quest to Provide COVID-19 Molecular Test Results to Travelers

Cloud-Based Platform Enlists Quest to Provide COVID-19 Molecular Test Results to Travelers

by | Aug 16, 2021 | Articles, Deals-lir, Essential, Laboratory Industry Report, LDTs-lir

As proof of COVID-19 vaccination and/or negative molecular test results morphs into a passport for air travel and attending live events, labs with the capacity to generate rapid and reliable tests and results on an expansive geographic scale will be in growing demand. Quest Diagnostics has been quick to recognize and take advantage of this opportunity by enlisting as a test provider for TrustAssure. The TrustAssure Platform Created by CLX Health, a developer of cloud-based solutions owned by SiriusIQ, the TrustAssure Global Testing Platform collaborates with physicians, clinics, hospitals and other providers in 5,000 U.S. and 15,000 global locations to provide test results to travelers and meeting attendees needing COVID-19 clearance to go through with their plans. Quest will become the first national provider of molecular COVID-19 testing to participate in TrustAssure. The newly announced Quest/CLX Health collaboration will enable individuals to use the TrustAssure platform to schedule test appointments at Quest patient centers and more than 750 retail pharmacy partner locations across the country knowing that they’ll get their results within 48 hours. This way, they can secure the “passport” they need to fly or attend the event in advance. It’s an ideal strategic collaboration: CLX Health secures Quest’s […]

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As proof of COVID-19 vaccination and/or negative molecular test results morphs into a passport for air travel and attending live events, labs with the capacity to generate rapid and reliable tests and results on an expansive geographic scale will be in growing demand. Quest Diagnostics has been quick to recognize and take advantage of this opportunity by enlisting as a test provider for TrustAssure.

The TrustAssure Platform

Created by CLX Health, a developer of cloud-based solutions owned by SiriusIQ, the TrustAssure Global Testing Platform collaborates with physicians, clinics, hospitals and other providers in 5,000 U.S. and 15,000 global locations to provide test results to travelers and meeting attendees needing COVID-19 clearance to go through with their plans. Quest will become the first national provider of molecular COVID-19 testing to participate in TrustAssure.

The newly announced Quest/CLX Health collaboration will enable individuals to use the TrustAssure platform to schedule test appointments at Quest patient centers and more than 750 retail pharmacy partner locations across the country knowing that they’ll get their results within 48 hours. This way, they can secure the “passport” they need to fly or attend the event in advance.

It’s an ideal strategic collaboration: CLX Health secures Quest’s massive molecular testing capabilities to bolster its solution; in turn, Quest gets to leverage the TrustAssure platform, which integrates the IBM Digital Health Pass, to reach the air travel and live events markets.

“COVID-19 testing is a powerful tool for providing insights that can foster safer environments,” noted Cathy Doherty, Quest senior VP and group executive, clinical franchise solutions and marketing. “As COVID-19 restrictions are lifted around the country and world, our collaboration with TrustAssure will allow us to facilitate high-quality testing for individuals looking to get back to recreation and travel.”

This is hardly Quest’s first venture into consumer empowerment over lab test results. The company was among the first diagnostic information services provider to offer free online access to test results. The lab giant also offers the MyQuest mobile app and patient portal enabling consumers to access and track their test results, as well as the QuestDirect service providing tests for various health conditions, illnesses and infections.

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Here’s a summary of other key strategic diagnostic deals announced in July 2021:

STRATEGIC ALLIANCES, PARTNERSHIPS & COLLABORATIONS

Partner 1 Partner(s) 2+ Deal Summary
Oncimmune Holdings Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
  • Objective: Use Oncimmune’s SeroTag biomarker discovery engine in Institute’s cancer chemotherapy clinical trials
  • Dynamic: Institute to use SeroTag to identify cancer-linked antigens predictive of therapeutic response or resistance
Ibex Medical Analytics Unilabs
  • Objective: Implement Ibex’s AI-based Galen platform in Europe
  • Dynamic: Unilabs to deploy platform in pathology labs in 16 countries, starting with Sweden
Pacific Biosciences Invitae
  • Objective: Develop a production-scale HiFi sequencing platform
  • Dynamic: Expand current collaboration to incorporate into the platform advance cancer detection technology developed by Omniome, a firm recently acquired by Pac Bio
Quest Diagnostics CLX Health
  • Objective: Provide COVID-19 molecular testing for international travelers and live events attendees
  • Dynamic: Enable individuals to use using CLX’s TrustAssure Global Testing Platform to schedule test appointments at Quest patient centers, with results provided 48 hours before travel or event date
Illumina Sanigen
  • Objective: Develop next-generation sequencing panels for food safety testing
  • Dynamic: Sanigen to also distribute Illumina’s sequencing technology in South Korea
Roche Hyrax Biosciences
  • Objective: Comarket Hyrax’s Exatype automated DNA analysis platform with Roche’s research-use-only KAPA HyperCap SARS-CoV-2 panel
  • Dynamic: Combine technologies into a single workflow to improve reliability of sequencing-based viral genotyping
Roche Mimetas
  • Objective: Develop human disease models to characterize novel drug compounds in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infections
  • Dynamic: Mimetas, which will be eligible for unspecified upfront and milestone payments, responsible for developing tissue-based disease models and assays in its OrganoPlate organ-on-a-chip platform
  • Roche gets access to technology, the disease models and resulting data, plus an option to exclusively license specific disease models and assays for use in drug discovery
Mission Bio Sequanta Technologies
  • Objective: Provide single-cell sequencing services in mainland China
  • Dynamic: Sequanta to provide access to Mission Bio’s Tapestri single-cell platform on fee-for-service basis
GE Healthcare SOPHiA GENETICS
  • Objective: Develop new AI-driven analytics and workflow solutions for clinical and biopharma markets
  • Dynamic: Solutions to combine GE Healthcare’s medical imaging and monitoring expertise and Edison data aggregation platform with SOPHiA’s DDMTM analytics platform
 Thermo Fisher Scientific Ortho Clinical Diagnostics
  • Objective: Distribute Thermo Fisher quality control and quality assurance products for use with Ortho’s Vitros analyzers
  • Dynamic: Ortho customers to have access to Thermo Fisher’s MAS third-party quality controls and LabLink xL web-based quality assurance program
Nonacus University of Birmingham (UK)
  • Objective: Develop noninvasive liquid biopsy assay for bladder cancer detection
  • Dynamic: Assay to use Nonacus’ liquid biopsy platform and panel of biomarkers validated by the University
Qiagen Sysmex
  • Objective: Develop and commercialize cancer companion diagnostics using Sysmex’s Plasma-Safe-SeqS next-generation sequencing technology
  • Dynamic: Forge collaborations with pharmaceutical companies to develop cancer therapies and promote the early clinical adoption of ultra-sensitive liquid biopsy companion diagnostics
Qiagen Verogen
  • Objective: Offer labs next-generation sequencing-based human identification workflows support
  • Dynamic: Qiagen gets rights to globally distribute Verogen products
  • Firms to also work together to commercialize Verogen’s NGS workflows with Qiagen’s sample prep automation to provide full sample-to-ID workflows for human ID labs
Bio-Rad Laboratories Seegene
  • Objective: Develop and commercialize multiplex molecular diagnostic tests for infectious diseases for US market
  • Dynamic: Seegene to provide multiplex assays for Bio-Rad’s CFX96 Dx Real-Time PCR System
BGI Americas Advaite
  • Objective: Market BGI’s PCR-based SARS-CoV-2 detection kit with Advaite’s RapCov COVID-19 immunoassay
  • Dynamic: Combined offering to provide more SARS-CoV-2 options to customers with both central lab and point-of-care CLIA-waived testing
SpeeDx MolGen
  • Objective: Create supply and distribution partnership in Europe and Asia-Pacific region
  • Dynamic: Combine MolGen’s liquid handling and purpose-built automation with SpeeDx’s COVID-19 diagnostic solutions to offer a full workflow to pathology labs

DISTRIBUTION, SALES & MARKETING AGREEMENTS

Product Owner Distributor Deal Summary
PixCell Medical Gamidor Diagnostics
  • Products: PixCell’s HemoScreen hematology analyzer
  • Territory: Israel
  • Exclusive
Fosun Pharma Todos Medical
  • Products: GenScript Biotech’s cPass SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibody Detection Kit, which Todos is automating at its Provista Diagnostics CLIA-certified lab
  • Territory: Undisclosed
  SQI Diagnostics Azova
  • Products: SQI’s COVID-19 Home Antibody Test
  • Territory: US
  • Azova to sell and distribute Canada-based SQI’s test to airline industry, wholesale clubs, retail pharmacies, grocery chains, state governments, school districts, universities and consumers
Natera TomaLab
  • Products: 3 of Natera’s cell-free DNA tests
  • Territory: Italy
Microbix Biosystems Thomas Scientific
  • Products: Microbix’s quality assessment products (QAPs)
  • Territory: US
Shoreline Biome AH Diagnostics
  • Products: Shoreline Biome’s microbiome research products
  • Territory: Denmark, Iceland, Sweden, Finland, Norway
  • Exclusive
Specific Diagnostics BioMérieux
  • Products: Specific Diagnostics’ Specific Reveal Rapid AST antibiotic susceptibility testing platform
  • Territory: Europe

LICENSES

Licensor Licensee Deal Summary
IBM Research NanoDx NanoDx licenses metal-oxide semi-conductive compatible nanoscale sensors to expand rapid testing for COVID-19, traumatic brain injury, sepsis and stroke
ERS Genomics Japan SLC Japanese biotech company gets nonexclusive access to ERS’ CRISPR-Cas9 patents to expand its animal model offerings
ERS Genomics Nippon Gene Japanese biotech company gets nonexclusive access to ERS’ CRISPR-Cas9 patents to develop, manufacture and sell research reagents

SUPPLY, SERVICE, TESTING & MANUFACTURING AGREEMENTS

Supplier/Servicer Client/User Deal Summary
Becton Dickinson USA Track & Field Becton Dickinson to provide rapid COVID-19 testing for USATF athletes with BD Veritor Plus system during Olympics qualifying events and trials

GOVERNMENT CONTRACTS

Contractor Govt. Agency Contract Summary
LightDeck Diagnostics US Departments of Defense and Health and Human Services $35.1 million contract to increase manufacturing capacity for LightDeck’s upcoming COVID-19 Ultra-Rapid Antigen and Total Antibody tests

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