The Elecsys interleukin 6 (IL-6) test from Roche Diagnostics, Basel, Switzerland, has received FDA emergency use authorization. The test measures levels of the biomarker interleukin 6 (IL-6) and can be used to help identify patients with confirmed covid-19 who could be at high risk of intubation with mechanical ventilation. It is intended to support physicians, in combination with other examinations and vital signs, to decide early on if a patient with confirmed covid-19 requires mechanical ventilation.
Thomas Schinecker, Roche Diagnostics.
“The FDA EUA for Elecsys IL-6 is another step in our commitment to deliver fast and reliable diagnostic tests to help fight the coronavirus pandemic,” says Thomas Schinecker, chief executive officer of Roche Diagnostics. “In the current situation, time is especially critical. The test could help physicians in the quick identification of severe inflammatory response in patients infected with the SARS CoV-2 virus.”
“In the current pandemic, Roche’s Elecsys IL-6 test was helpful as an early indicator for acute inflammation and in the management of critically ill patients,” says Tobias Herold, MD, a specialist in general internal medicine in the emergency department at Ludwig Maximilians University Hospital. “Elevated IL-6 values help us to identify patients with a high risk of upcoming respiratory failure.”
Hospitals and reference laboratories can run the Elecsys IL-6 test on Roche’s Cobas e analyzers, which are widely available around the world. The fully-automated systems can provide test results in approximately 18 minutes, with a test throughput of up to 300 tests per hour. The test is also available in markets accepting the CE mark.
For more information, visit Roche Diagnostics.
