The cobas eplex RP3 panel detects up to 25 viral and bacterial targets and offers customizable panel configurations.

Roche has launched the cobas eplex respiratory pathogen panel 3 (RP3), a qualitative in vitro diagnostic test capable of simultaneously detecting and differentiating up to 25 viral and bacterial targets associated with respiratory illness. The test is now available in countries accepting the CE mark.

Differential diagnosis of respiratory infections presents a persistent clinical challenge, as many pathogens produce overlapping symptoms. For vulnerable populations—including the elderly, young children, and immunocompromised patients—delayed or inaccurate identification of the causative pathogen can have serious consequences.

“In respiratory care, time is everything. Knowing exactly what is making a patient sick allows clinicians to make fast, effective decisions that can save lives,” says Josh Lauer, global head of molecular labs at Roche Diagnostics, in a release. “We are providing hospitals with a powerful tool to manage the complexity of respiratory infections, ensuring that patients—especially those at high risk—get the targeted care they need without delay.”

Panel Design and Target Coverage

The cobas eplex RP3 panel runs on the cobas eplex system, a platform designed to simplify laboratory workflow through automated result reporting and external control tracking and monitoring. The panel builds on the target coverage of its predecessor, the RP2, retaining detection of common pathogens such as influenza virus A and B, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), and SARS-CoV-2, while adding new targets including Bordetella parapertussis and Chlamydia pneumoniae — pathogens that can cause severe illness in high-risk patients, according to the company.

The panel also features updated inclusivity for influenza virus and SARS-CoV-2 to ensure coverage of current and recently circulating strains, Roche says.

A distinguishing feature of the RP3 panel is its flexible syndromic testing capability — the first in the cobas eplex product family. Laboratories can customize up to five distinct panels based on local prevalence patterns or unique patient presentations, according to Roche.

Workflow and Clinical Utility

The test requires less than one minute of hands-on time to initiate, according to the company. Roche says this ease of use, combined with fast time to results, can help reduce the time patients spend in the emergency department and allow hospitals to better manage isolation capacity.

Beyond speed, the panel’s broad target detection is designed to help clinicians identify the precise cause of infection more quickly—enabling targeted treatment decisions, supporting appropriate infection and transmission control measures, and, in some cases, helping to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use, according to Roche.

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