Abbott Announces CE Mark and Availability of its COVID-19 Laboratory-Based Antibody Test in India

Highlights

* New European made antibody blood test will run on Abbott's ARCHITECT® i1000SR and i2000SR laboratory instruments and will expand to its Alinity i system
* Abbott will begin shipping to India by the end of May and will scale up to meet the demands subsequently.
* Test demonstrated specificity and sensitivity of greater than 99 percent 14 days or more after symptoms started

Abbott announced today it received CE Mark to the IVD Directive (98/79/EC) for its laboratory-based serology blood test for the detection of the antibody, IgG, that identifies if a person has had the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). Antibody testing is an important next step to tell if someone has been previously infected. It will provide more understanding of the virus including how long antibodies stay in the body and if they provide immunity. This type of knowledge could help support the development of treatments and vaccines.

"Abbott has been singularly focused on bringing COVID-19 tests to market as quickly as possible to help address this pandemic," said Narendra Varde, General Manager and Country Head at Abbott’s diagnostics business in India. "We are proud to be providing our antibody tests in the coming weeks as they will help understand who has had the virus, leading to greater confidence as we get to living life.”

Antibody tests to expand testing

While molecular testing detects whether someone has the virus, antibody tests determine if someone was infected. Abbott's SARS-CoV-2 IgG test identifies the IgG antibody, which is a protein that the body produces in the late stages of infection and may remain up to months and possibly years after a person has recovered. The test demonstrated specificity and sensitivity to detect IgG antibodies of greater than 99 percent 14 days or more after symptoms started.

Abbott's IgG antibody test will initially be available on its ARCHITECT® i1000SR and i2000SR laboratory instruments.* ARCHITECT is one of the most widely used laboratory systems in the world and it's been used for decades. These instruments are in use in laboratories throughout India and can run up to 100-200 tests per hour.

Abbott is significantly scaling up its European manufacturing for antibody testing and will expand testing to its Alinity™ i system. Abbott will also be expanding its laboratory antibody testing to the detection of the antibody, IgM, in the near future.

About Abbott's Diagnostics Leadership

Abbott has long been a global leader in infectious disease testing, including the development of the first HIV test. The company created a Global Surveillance Program 25 years ago to monitor HIV and hepatitis viruses and identify mutations to ensure the company's tests remain up to date. Abbott also has a long-standing discovery program that identifies new or unknown pathogens and develops tests to address these new threats.

About Abbott

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 107,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.