Aalto Bio Reagents launches first monoclonal antibody against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein

Aalto Bio Reagents has announced the availability of its first mouse monoclonal antibody against SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (code CA 1360), which they expect will be a game-changer globally. These 5 clones were developed for use in a variety of assays including Western blot, ELISA and lateral flow for the detection of SARS-CoV-2 in plasma, serum or saliva. To date, there have been over 48 million cases of COVID-19 worldwide, including over 1 million deaths. It is evident that early and accurate detection is necessary to help prevent the spread of this virus and to reduce the rate of these ever-increasing numbers.

Nucleic acid (NA) testing by real-time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) remains the gold standard when it comes to the diagnosis of SARS-CoV-2 infection. However, this type of test requires a well-equipped laboratory and has a long turnaround time, which doesn't suit the highly infectious nature of the virus. Rapid antigen tests are low cost and are the preferable method for high volume screening, particularly in the context of incoming travelers at airports. The nucleocapsid protein of SARS-CoV-2 is expressed abundantly during infection making it an ideal target for viral-antigen based detection. Our MAb to SARS-CoV-2 N protein (code CA 1360) demonstrated exceptional reactivity in ELISA when tested against our recombinant SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein (code CK 6404-b).

"There are a number of rapid tests on the market at the moment that are using the currently available monoclonal antibodies for COVID 19 antigen detection," says Philip Noone, CEO of Aalto Bio Reagents, "however, there appears to be concerns with the accuracy of these tests, specifically when testing asymptomatic people. To ensure the highest accuracy in these tests, it is essential to use highest-quality raw materials which we believe Aalto Bio has delivered with this new COVID19 mab."

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