Longhorn Vaccines and Diagnostics Partners with Greenfield Global on Covid-19 Transport Medium

To accelerate coronavirus testing and detection, Longhorn Vaccines and Diagnostics, San Antonio, has selected Greenfield Global, Toronto, maker of the Pharmco brand of specialty alcohols and high-purity solvents, to formulate and distribute the company’s PrimeStore molecular transport medium (MTM).
Most covid-19 testing requires sample collection devices and viral transport media that keep the virus alive within the sample, and may require refrigeration, special shipping, and biosafety containment. Unlike standard methods for collecting and transporting samples, Longhorn’s PrimeStore MTM safely deactivates pathogens at the point of collection and stabilizes RNA and DNA, allowing enhanced point-of-care and ambient-temperature transport for laboratory-based molecular testing and characterization, with no need for special containment facilities.

“Safe and robust collection of high-quality samples that can be processed on standard lab benches using conventional qPCR have enabled rapid detection from patients and assisted in combating the global covid-19 pandemic,” says Luke T. Daum, PhD, chief scientific officer at Longhorn Vaccines and Diagnostics. “What makes PrimeStore MTM so important is that once an oral or nasal swab is collected, the viruses and bacteria from the sample are lysed and inactivated, so that the RNA and DNA are stabilized for safe transport and processing outside of BSL-2/3 laboratories.”

“Formulating solvents that meet our customers’ criteria allows us to help them make incredible products and meet the demands of the market,” says Steve DiBenedetto, senior vice president of sales and operations at Greenfield Global. “Our Pharmco-branded products are blended and packaged at our GMP-compliant facilities operating under an ISO 9001:2015 quality management system, which ensures a high quality, consistent product. Longhorn Vaccines and Diagnostics’ testing innovation is remarkable. We value their trust in our top-quality products, our security of supply, and our reliable supply chain, which allows us to help support millions of critical tests worldwide.”

PrimeStore MTM is an FDA-cleared collection medium for respiratory samples, including those for detecting SARS-CoV-2.

For more information, visit Longhorn Vaccines and Diagnostics and Greenfield Global.