An at-home testing service for covid-19 launched by Fulgent Genetics, Temple City, Calif, has received FDA emergency use authorization for use in the United States.
Fulgent Genetics will be offering the testing service through Picture Genetics, the company’s genetic testing platform. Individuals interested in ordering testing services must qualify through an online eligibility screener, which makes eligibility determinations based on current Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines while prioritizing those who are most in need of testing. Eligible individuals will receive Fulgent’s collection materials in the mail that enable them to self-collect a specimen with a mid-turbinate nasal swab, which will then be sent back to Fulgent’s laboratory. Patients will receive their results through the Picture Genetics platform within 24 to 48 hours from receipt of the sample.
Fulgent has partnered with a national clinician network on its at-home covid-19 test which will oversee the process including approval of each test ordered, monitoring of materials produced, and review of reports after testing is completed.
“We are pleased to be able to offer a convenient and readily available covid-19 testing solution for individuals at risk of contracting the virus,” says Brandon Perthuis, chief commercial officer at Fulgent Genetics. “As the coronavirus continues to spread, options for testing remain limited and many eligible individuals are unable to get the testing they need. We believe our at-home testing service will both enable at-risk individuals, particularly those at the front lines of this pandemic, to more readily access testing solutions, while potentially offering a solution for organizations to screen employees as they return to work. We believe that increasing availability of at-home testing solutions in general will help to alleviate congestion at health care facilities, reduce contribution to more community spread, and offer individuals who are unable to leave their homes a safer and more convenient testing solution.”
For more information, visit Fulgent Genetics.
