Innovations and investments to expand our response to COVID-19 pandemic

As the world continues to contend with the SARS-CoV-2 outbreak, returning to any version of normalcy depends on evolving safety measures, large scale testing plans, and worldwide vaccination drives. COVID-19 has accelerated the reliance on diagnostics and testing, laid emphasis on increased public-private collaborations, strategic government initiatives and focused on new approaches that are redefining the industry landscape. 

Thermo Fisher Scientific has been at the forefront in the global response against the pandemic with some of the most innovative COVID-19 testing solutions that meet the needs of the communities. From understanding the structure of the virus, ensuring supply of critical instruments, reagents and personal protective equipment, the company has ramped development and delivery of the gold standard RT-PCR testing, and is actively involved in supporting research, production, storage and distribution of vaccines and therapies. The company is also working closely with governments and several private organizations to make diagnostic testing more convenient for patients and for strengthening the healthcare infrastructure to support customers and society.

Enhancing local manufacturing capabilities
A more intense second wave of COVID-19, has put a spotlight on the continued need for more testing and more vaccinations. Our focus has been on anticipating the evolving needs and spearheading them with the right tools and technologies to support our customers. To meet the increasing demands for RT-PCR kits in the country, we have accelerated and increased the production and supply of our Made in India for India CoviPath kits to 15 lakh tests every day. The locally manufactured kits are part of our gold-standard RT-PCR technology, reliable and now available to meet the rising testing requirements. Overall, our products and solutions play a significant role in making diagnostic testing accessible for patients, strengthening the healthcare infrastructure, and demonstrating our on-going commitment toward the COVID-19 response in India.

Commitment to innovation
The rapid surge in the number of COVID-19 cases and the mutations in the virus have raised concerns about the effectiveness of the vaccines or the drugs that are being used to minimize the impact of the virus. It has become essential for researchers and government to have access to updated and reliable information about the mutations in the virus. At Thermo Fisher, we have been actively collaborating with surveillance laboratories, governments, and clinicians around the globe to make sure our tools are state-of-the-art, accessible, and are equipped to respond to the challenges ahead.

The Applied Biosystems™ TaqMan SARS-CoV-2 mutation panels have been designed to offer customizable menu of 22 verified real-time PCR assays that help to identify the current relevant SARS-CoV-2 mutation as well as adapt quickly as new variants emerge. The efficient mutation panels are highly scalable, rapid, and provide laboratories with the ability to meet various levels of testing needs with real-time PCR instruments they already use, thereby significantly reducing the cost of running these assays.

Fast-tracking testing capabilities
COVID-19 testing is a vital link to identify people with COVID-19. High testing volumes and scaling solutions that offer accurate and rapid test results are required to meet the testing demand.

The Thermo Fisher Scientific Amplitude Solution uses Applied Biosystems TaqPath COVID-19 Combo Kit, which is a quick, highly sensitive multiplex diagnostic test. The modular solution processes samples in a four-step process with minimum hands-on time, laboratory space and staff. The automated solution uses real-time PCR test and can process up to 8,000 COVID-19 samples in a single day.

At Thermo Fisher, our role in addressing the global health crisis is one of the best examples of how we create value for our customers. With our agility, commitment to advance our technologies, ability to innovate and offer service and support, we are uniquely positioned to partner with our customers while also creating long-term opportunities for our company. We are confident that our collective response to COVID-19 will propel us forward in a post-COVID-19 world and fulfill our mission, which is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner, and safer.