CINCINNATI, Sept. 14, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meridian Bioscience, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIVO), a leading provider of diagnostic testing solutions and life science critical raw materials, is pleased to announce the launch of a novel highly sensitive SARS-CoV-2 antibody pair to the trimeric spike protein to accelerate development of COVID-19 assays from patient saliva. Coronavirus-neutralizing antibodies primarily target the trimeric spike (S) glycoprotein on the viral surface that mediates entry into the host cell. This antibody pair binds to recombinant SARS-CoV-2 trimeric spike protein.
Intentionally designed and screened for the development of rapid saliva antigen tests, these antibodies recognize a linear epitope of the SARS-CoV-S1 trimeric protein. The antibody pair is the first-of-its-kind, having sensitivity down to picograms per milliliter as measured by ELISA. Further, the antibody pair is highly specific to the SARS-CoV-2 trimeric spike protein and does not cross react with other coronaviruses, such as SARS-CoV, HCoV-229F, HCoV-HKUI, HCoV-NL63 and HCoV-OC43.“Meridian has already enabled the manufacture of millions of COVID-19 assays dating back to the early days of the pandemic. This new antibody pair reflects Meridian’s on-going commitment to be the leading partner to the diagnostics industry through continuous innovation, enhancing the tools R&D teams have to fight this global pandemic,” said Todd Howren, Ph.D., Vice President Global Sales for Meridian Bioscience, Life Science Division. “A rapid COVID-19 antigen assay from saliva, which does not sacrifice sensitivity, is now possible due to this novel antibody pair.”“Accelerated scale-up efforts of this antibody pair are now in progress and Meridian is excited to partner with our IVD customers to bring rapid antigen COVID-19 assays to market” said Lourdes Weltzien, Ph.D., Executive Vice President for Meridian Bioscience, Life Science Division.Meridian is committed to supplying innovative solutions to the diagnostic industry during times of a pandemic health crisis. For more information on partnering with Meridian Bioscience please visit meridianlifescience.com or contact: [email protected].About Meridian Bioscience, Inc.Meridian is a fully integrated life science company that develops, manufactures, markets and distributes a broad range of innovative diagnostic products. We are dedicated to developing and delivering better solutions that give answers with speed, accuracy and simplicity that are redefining the possibilities of life from discovery to diagnosis. Through discovery and development, we provide critical life science raw materials used in immunological and molecular tests for human, animal, plant, and environmental applications. Through diagnosis, we provide diagnostic solutions in areas including gastrointestinal and upper respiratory infections and blood lead level testing. We build relationships and provide solutions to hospitals, reference laboratories, research centers, veterinary testing centers, physician offices, diagnostics manufacturers, and biotech companies in more than 70 countries around the world.Meridian’s shares are traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market, symbol VIVO. Meridian’s website address is www.meridianbioscience.com.Contact:
Charlie Wood
Vice President – Investor Relations
Meridian Bioscience, Inc.
Phone: +1 513.271.3700
Email: [email protected]

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