Paragon Genomics Readies Higher Throughput Version of Its Popular CleanPlex® SARS-CoV-2 NGS Panel Amid Growing Need for Large-Scale COVID-19 Testing

HAYWARD, Calif., July 8, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Paragon Genomics, Inc., a leader in amplicon-based target enrichment solutions for next-generation sequencing (NGS) and precision medicine, today reported that its scientists have developed methods allowing for a multi-fold increase in the throughput of its CleanPlex^® SARS-CoV-2 NGS Panel for COVID-19 research, testing and surveillance.

The multiplexed CleanPlex Panel, which has been adopted by hundreds of users in the past few months, already has good throughput, enabling as many as 2668 or more samples to be sequenced at one time. Paragon Genomics' scientists are now refining a new barcoding method they have developed that will allow over 20,000 samples to be sequenced simultaneously. This increased capacity, along with the CleanPlex Panel's fast time to results, efficient workflow, and affordable cost, could help achieve the high volume testing that will be needed to facilitate the safe re-opening of institutions such as schools and workplaces that have had to close or restrict their operations as a result of the pandemic.

The CleanPlex SARS-CoV-2 Research and Surveillance Panel is an amplicon-based NGS panel for characterizing the full genome of the COVID-19 virus. It greatly facilitates genomic studies of the virus, rapidly converting viral RNA into sequencing-ready libraries in a few hours' time using a streamlined, efficient, and cost-effective workflow that works well with low viral loads and reduces sequencing costs by almost 99 percent.

Compared to commonly used RT-PCR tests that can only detect whether the virus is present, Paragon Genomics' NGS Panel both detects the virus and provides information on the viral sequence. This is important for tracking the pandemic, for COVID-19 research, and for the development of vaccines and therapeutics. The COVID-19 virus is known to rapidly mutate, and the Panel's high coverage of target regions is essential to ensuring sensitive detection in the presence of mutations. With sequencing, these mutations can be tracked to study the path of infection and examine the impact of different strains.

Another key advantage of the CleanPlex sequencing assay is detection sensitivity. The CleanPlex SARS-CoV-2 Panel can detect a single viral copy of the COVID-19 virus in a sample. The limit of detection of an RT-PCR assay is usually five copies or more, potentially contributing to the false negative results sometimes observed with these tests.

Paragon Genomics CEO Tao Chen commented, "The rapid uptake of our CleanPlex SARS-CoV-2 NGS Panel is testament to the powerful advantages it provides researchers and public health professionals in the battle against COVID-19, as well as its ease of use and cost effectiveness. We are grateful that the hard work of the Paragon Genomics team is providing a valuable tool to those fighting this disease that has so upended our world."

Mr. Chen added, "We are now developing a high throughput method to further allow customers to pool more than 20,000 samples in a single sequencing run. At this throughput, it could be feasible to conduct large-scale screening of people in educational, work, and other institutional settings, potentially enabling earlier and safer resumption of normal operations. We are also preparing regulatory filings in the US and the EU that will certify the CleanPlex Panel for diagnostic use."

The CleanPlex SARS-CoV-2 Panel's four-step workflow converts viral RNA into sequencing-ready libraries in just five hours. It is powered by Paragon Genomics' proprietary, ultra-high multiplexed NGS target enrichment technology featuring an innovative PCR background cleaning chemistry that allows tens of thousands of amplicons to be multiplexed in a single reaction pool, allowing a large number of targets to be interrogated in a single assay and resulting in best-in-class target enrichment performance and efficient use of sequencing reads.

For more information on the Paragon Genomics CleanPlex SARS-CoV-2 Panel, visit:
https://www.paragongenomics.com/product/cleanplex-sars-cov-2-panel/.

The CleanPlex SARS-CoV-2 Panel is for Research Use Only. It is not intended for disease diagnosis.

About Paragon Genomics

Paragon Genomics (paragongenomics.com) is a leader in amplicon-based target enrichment and library preparation solutions to accelerate the development of next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based assays for research and clinical testing. The company designs and manufactures high performance and ultra-multiplexed amplicon NGS library preparation products for analyzing difficult, clinically relevant samples. It strives to be the NGS assay partner of choice for research and clinical NGS labs and to make custom NGS assays easily available to a broad range of users. Privately held Paragon Genomics is located in Hayward, California.

SOURCE Paragon Genomics, Inc.

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https://www.paragongenomics.com/