TECHLAB to Supply the New River Valley COVID-19 Task Force with Essential Reagents to Expand COVID-19 Testing

BLACKSBURG, Va., Nov. 2, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- TECHLAB^® Inc., a leader in infectious disease diagnostics, today announced it has partnered with the New River Valley COVID-19 Task Force to cost-effectively expand future COVID-19 testing capacity. Under this agreement, the New River Health District secures access to TECHLAB's analyte-specific reagents (ASRs) for SARS-CoV-2 for as little as $7-9 per use.

"As a company founded and headquartered here in the New River Valley, we are proud to work closely with public health officials to provide a cost-effective and flexible option to increase their COVID-19 testing," said Joel Herbein, Ph.D., Vice President of Scientific Affairs at TECHLAB. "Our analyte-specific reagents can be used now to maximize COVID-19 testing by any lab that is CLIA-certified to perform medium- and high-complexity testing. We are also incorporating our ASRs into 96-well and rapid antigen tests and plan to submit to the U.S. FDA for emergency use authorization."

"The acquisition of these reagents provides us flexibility for future testing capacity," said Anthony Wilson, head of the COVID-19 Task Force. "The task force has created a mobile, flexible, and scalable testing program that can be deployed across the New River Valley, and it has helped us prevent COVID-19 from overloading our hospitals or compromising our public safety systems and services." 

"Testing continues to help us determine the prevalence of disease in our community, but the best protection is to remain vigilant," said Noelle Bissell, M.D., director of the New River Health District. "Watch your distance, wear your mask, and wash your hands. That's how you protect yourself and those around you."

"TECHLAB prides itself in developing and manufacturing our reagents in-house in southwest Virginia allowing us to control our supply chain and the quality of our products," said Rob Day, Chief Operating Officer. "We are also able to supply any CLIA lab in the United States."

About the New River Valley COVID-19 Task Force
The New River Valley Public Health Task Force is composed of local health, public safety, education and government agencies that work to proactively provide local residents and communities with information about COVID-19, to coordinate efforts to reduce its local impact and to facilitate community recovery. For more information, visit www.NRVRoadtoWellness.com and www.vdh.virginia.gov.

If you have questions about COVID-19 or wish to request an appointment for testing at a drive-thru site, call the New River Health District's COVID-19 public health call center at 540-267-8240. 

About TECHLAB
Founded in 1989, TECHLAB, Inc. is a leading developer and manufacturer of diagnostic products. The Company has a portfolio of diagnostic tests for infectious disease and intestinal inflammation testing. TECHLAB also performs diagnostics and life science contract manufacturing and services. TECHLAB is headquartered in Blacksburg, Va. and manufactures its diagnostic tests in the United States at its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Radford, Va. For more info, visit www.techlab.com.

SOURCE TECHLAB, Inc.