Assay available for detection of monkeypox virus

Hamburg, Germany, May 24th 2022

Since May 2022 cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in at least 12 countries, that are not endemic for monkeypox virus, e.g. in the USA, Canada, UK, Germany, Spain, and Australia. Due to this development, altona Diagnostics has received more and more requests from all over the world for PCR tests to detect this virus.

altona Diagnostics provides the RealStar^® Orthopoxvirus PCR Kit 1.0* which is a reagent system, based on real-time PCR technology, for the detection of Orthopoxvirus species specific DNA – including monkeypox DNA of the Central and West African strains of monkeypox virus. In the current situation altona Diagnostics is supplying this PCR test kit to key public health institutes worldwide.

“We expect the demand for monkeypox virus PCR test kits to increase. Therefore, we are currently expanding the production capacities at altona Diagnostics to be able to supply public health facilities and laboratories in sufficient quantities with PCR test kits to detect monkeypox virus DNA.”, said Dr. Markus Hess, General Manager of altona Diagnostics.

All RealStar^® PCR kits consist of Master Reagents, Positive Controls and an Internal Control. They are manufactured according to GMP guidelines and can be used with a wide range of different real-time PCR instruments.

altona Diagnostics has already developed molecular diagnostic test systems during previous global health crises and made them available very quickly. During the outbreaks of swine flu (H1N1)pdm09, MERS-CoV, Zaire ebolavirus, Zika virus and SARS-CoV-2 altona Diagnostics’ PCR tests have always been among the earliest available and most widely used in the world.

 About altona

altona Diagnostics is a medical diagnostic company that develops and manufactures in vitro diagnostic tests for the PCR based detection of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria or parasites. Headquartered in Hamburg-Altona, Germany, altona Diagnostics is privately owned and employs more than 350 people worldwide. The company has been in the molecular diagnostics business for over 20 years and is ISO 13485 certified. altona Diagnostics sells its registered products to private and clinical laboratories globally through subsidiaries and more than 40 distribution partners.

Molecular diagnostic tests from altona Diagnostics are based on real-time PCR technology and are packaged as ready-to-use kits. The company’s product catalog contains over 50 CE marked kits that are compatible with open real-time PCR platforms. In addition, altona Diagnostics offers an automated workflow solution that is complete with instrumentation, nucleic acid extraction chemistry and a dedicated software.

altona^®, RealStar^® and all associated marks are trademarks of altona Diagnostics GmbH. All other registered names and trademarks used in this document are not to be considered unprotected by law.