Oxford Expression Technologies (OET) has introduced baculoQUANT™, a novel one-step virus titration kit which can give an accurate result within 2 hours without the need for plaque assays or immunoassays. baculoQUANT™ is based on a technique called quantitative PCR (QPCR) and is a fast and cost-effective method of recombinant virus titration. This novel titration method has been proven to be a very accurate, reproducible and fast way to titrate recombinant baculoviruses1, both for single-use titrations and for high throughput applications on automated systems.

The Roche Diagnostics Elecsys Anti-HCV (hepatitis C virus) assay has now been approved for use in Europe for modular analytics and the e 601 module for the cobas 6000 platform. The assay is already available on the Elecsys 2010 and the cobas e 411 instruments. “The addition of anti-HCV assay to the E 170 analyser for modular analytics and the e 601 module for the cobas 6000 platform complements Roche’s already comprehensive menu of hepatitis immunodiagnostic and liver function assays, all of which can be accurately and simultaneously measured on a single blood sample to identify the underlying liver disorder,” the head of Roche Professional Diagnostics said.

Japan’s Eisai and its diagnostic subsidiary, Sanko Junyaku, have launched the Lumipulse KL-6 and Lumipulse Presto KL-6 Eisai test kits, which detect KL-6, a marker of interstitial pneumonia. These diagnostic systems use automated chemiluminescence enzyme immunoassay system marketed by Fujirebio. In 2006, the three companies entered into an agreement to develop new KL-6 test kits.