Ortho Clinical Diagnostics (NYSE: OCDX), one of the world's largest pure-play in vitro diagnostics (IVD) companies, has been recognized as a finalist by the 2021 Edison Awards for its rapid response to the nation’s need for COVID-19 testing solutions. The awards committee recognized Ortho after reviewing more than 7,000 products and services and over 400 nominations.
Ortho is a finalist in the COVID-19 Innovations category, subcategory Accelerated Testing Solutions. Winners will be announced at a recognition ceremony on April 22, 2021.
“When the pandemic began to surge a year ago, we knew we could make an immediate difference and came together to launch to market reliable tests so clinicians could get the results they needed as fast as possible and labs could best serve their communities,” said Ajoy C. Mahtab, head of the Clinical Labs Business Unit, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics. “Our team demonstrated an unyielding commitment to our customers and their patients during this time. We are incredibly proud to be part of the COVID-19 solution and humbled to be recognized as a finalist for an Edison Award.”
As early as March 2020, while most of the world was only beginning to grasp the potential scale and scope of the SARS-CoV-2 virus, Ortho scientists worked tirelessly to develop a COVID-19 diagnostic solution capable of mass-scale testing to provide an understanding of the spread of the virus by detecting key proteins (antibodies) in the blood.
In just 19 days, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics went from concept to launch for its VITROS® COVID-19 Total Antibody Test, becoming the first high-volume COVID-19 antibody test to receive U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Emergency Use Authorization (EUA). Just two weeks later, Ortho received another EUA for its VITROS® COVID-19 IgG Antibody Test. Both tests, which also have CE Mark, offer 100% specificity, which provides an extremely high level of confidence for both patients and clinicians.
Ortho’s Total antibody test detects all COVID-19-related antibodies that appear in the early, acute stage of infection and can be used to help determine the onset of a patient's immune response to the virus, while Ortho’s IgG antibody test detects the IgG antibody, a protein that the body typically produces in the later stages of infection. Both tests help clinicians understand whether a patient has been exposed to and has developed antibodies to SARS-CoV-2.
Ortho’s third COVID-19 solution, the VITROS® SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Test, helps confirm whether a patient has an active infection by detecting viral proteins in swab samples. The test has utility for mass-scale testing and delivers same-day results to help hospitals and reference labs address testing backlogs, supply shortages, and delayed results. The test received CE Mark in November 2020 and continuing its legacy of “firsts,” was the first high-volume antigen test to receive FDA EUA.
In addition, Ortho’s team was instrumental in helping its customers operate during the height of the pandemic. When the world was still just beginning to understand the SARS-CoV-2 virus, Ortho’s scientists, manufacturing team, customer service team and even building facilities teams came to work to ensure delivery of its products so that its customers were able to continue running their analyzers. Ortho technicians donned personal protective equipment and went into the very hospitals where patients were sick or dying from COVID-19 to service its systems. Other team members were instrumental in helping to set up remote testing locations at field hospitals with Ortho’s waterless analyzer platforms – a technology unique to Ortho or delivering and installing new analyzers in two “pop-up” hospitals built in Wuhan, China in the early days of the virus.
“They came to work, even when they knew they could be exposed to the virus themselves, to continue supplying the products and services needed by our customers to continue running their analyzers and tackle the near-immediate backlog of tests,” said Mahtab.
Up to 6.8 million of Ortho’s COVID-19 tests can be processed daily on Ortho’s globally installed base of over 5,600 analyzers. Up to 150 of its antibody tests or 130 of its antigen tests per hour can be simultaneously run on each analyzer.
Further, because Ortho’s VITROS Systems are already installed worldwide, reporting times may be further improved because lab staff require no additional training, and the instruments are already connected to existing laboratory information systems and software.
The Edison Awards is an annual competition honoring excellence in new product and service development, marketing, design and innovation. Ortho was previously recognized with an Edison award in 2020 for its VITROS® XT Solutions, in 2018 for its VITROS® NEPHROCHECK® Test and in 2017 for the ORTHO VISION™ Platform.
Read more about Ortho’s COVID-19 solutions here, or see how Ortho provides labs with the confidence to meet the needs of patients today while preparing for the demands of tomorrow.
About the Edison Awards
Established in 1987, the Edison Awards recognize and honor game-changing innovations that are at the forefront of new product and service development, marketing and human-centered design, and are one of the highest accolades a company can receive in the name of successful innovation. For more information about the Edison Awards complete program and a list of past winners, visit www.edisonawards.com.
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