In full transparency, the press release was submitted to SOURCE media for publication.
***
FRAMINGHAM – Kephera Diagnostics announced today the launch of a quantitative test to measure the level of antibodies elicited by vaccination against COVID-19, as well as following COVID-19 infection. The test will be available as a service through Kephera’s CLIA-certified laboratory.
Kephera’s COVI-QUANT™ test measures the level of IgG antibodies to the spike protein, a viral component which is the key antigen in current COVID-19 vaccines. The test will enable individuals to assess their immune response to vaccination or to infection, and to monitor their antibody level for changes over time.
At this point, the duration of immunity to COVID-19 conferred by vaccination remains unknown, and measuring antibody levels periodically after vaccination can provide insight into changes in the immune response. As the immune response can also differ significantly between individuals, the test will allow people to compare their antibody levels with those in demographically similar populations of vaccinated and infected individuals using a tool to be made available on the company’s website. This information is expected to be especially useful for those with health conditions that hinder development of a normal immune response.
[broadstreet zone=”59945″]
Recent studies have shown that people with immunocompromising conditions due to age, inherent illnesses, infection, organ transplantation, cancer treatment and other causes tend to develop a much weaker antibody response than normal, healthy individuals, which could put them at greater risk of infection by the virus. Kephera’s COVI-QUANT™ test provides an objective measurement of antibody levels based on an international standard developed by the World Health Organization.
The test is performed on a standard blood sample, with an option to use less-invasive finger prick dried blood spots coming soon.
“We are very excited to offer our newly developed COVI-QUANT™ test for quantitative measurement of COVID-19 antibody levels” said Dr. Andrew Levin, Kephera’s Chief Executive Officer. “Measuring the antibody response to vaccination or infection provides objective information on the strength of the immune response. This could help those individuals who may be at higher risk due to certain health conditions to learn more about their immune response to the vaccine. We believe that measurement of antibody levels will contribute to our understanding of the relationship between the antibody response and immunity to viral infection.”
[broadstreet zone=”59948″]
***
Kephera Diagnostics, LLC is a young and growing diagnostics company that aims to address the public health challenges of global infectious diseases with new point of care assay technology. The company’s mission is to promote more effective and more affordable medical treatment through faster,
point-of-care diagnosis. Kephera has recently been funded for development of new tests for several infectious diseases of global significance. The company is located on Grant Street in Framingham.
[broadstreet zone=”53820″]
MetroWest Medical Center