Roche and its subsidiary TIB Molbiol have developed a COVID-19 test for researchers that detects and distinguishes the most recent BA.2.75 subvariant of interest. The test targets two of the known unique mutations in BA.2.75, allowing for clear differentiation from other notable subvariants.
BA.2.75 cases have been reported in over a dozen countries since it was first discovered in India in May 2022. The BA.2.75 variant is related to the Omicron variant. The World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are both keeping an eye on the subvariant. It has not yet reached the level of Variant of Concern, but distinguishing it from BA.4 and BA.5 allows for better tracking of how it is spreading.
The available research use only test, VirSNiP SARS-CoV-2 Spike 147E 152R, complements the extensive suite of COVID-19 test kits developed by Roche and TIB Molbiol, which includes kits for detecting the recent BA.4 and BA.5 subvariants, as well as other mutations found in the Omicron SARS-CoV-2 variant.
