On Jul. 15, 2020, bioMerieux announced that the BIOFIRE Respiratory Panel 2.1 plus (RP2.1plus) was CE marked. The BIOFIRE Respiratory Panel 2.1 plus (RP2.1plus) tests for 23 pathogens (19 viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, and 4 bacteria) responsible for the most frequent respiratory tract infections. It was commercially available in all countries that recognize CE marking.

The BIOFIRE® RP2.1plus advances the existing BIOFIRE® Respiratory Panel 2 plus (RP2plus) by adding SARS-CoV-2 to the panel menu while maintaining an assay runtime of about 45 minutes. The BIOFIRE® RP2.1plus panel also includes an assay for the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (MERS-CoV). This new panel allows healthcare providers to quickly identify patients with common respiratory pathogens and differentiate those with COVID-19, using one single test. The BIOFIRE® RP2.1plus runs on the fully automated BIOFIRE® FILMARRAY® 2.0 and BIOFIRE® FILMARRAY® TORCH systems and is extremely easy to use.

The BIOFIRE® RP2.1plus Panel is part of a suite of products in response to the COVID – 19 pandemic. The ARGENE® SARS-CoV-2 R-GENE® was launched in March 2020, followed by the U.S. FDA EUA cleared BIOFIRE® RP2.1 panel and the VIDAS® anti-SARS- CoV-2 IgM and anti-SARS-CoV-2 IgG tests. These complementary tests help meet the varying needs of bioMérieux’s diverse customers and patients throughout the world.