Eliminating the need for refrigeration of samples will boost coronavirus testing worldwide
Teknova has completed the process of US FDA notification for its Active Viral Transport Medium (ATM). ATM is a room temperature-stable version of Teknova’s CDC formulation Viral Transport Medium (VTM) and is manufactured under GMP conditions in compliance with ISO 13485 standards.
The requirement for refrigerated storage and transport of nasopharyngeal samples for viral testing poses significant logistical and financial challenges that have increased dramatically with mass COVID-19 testing. Teknova’s proven track record of rapid product development and expertise in media formulation make the company ideally placed to face these challenges head-on.
As as a company release, after sample collection, ATM maintains viral stability at room temperature for up to 72 hours and can also be stored at room temperature prior to use. ATM is tested for pH (USP <791>), conductivity (USP <644>) and sterility, and additional quality control is applied in the form of bioburden testing (USP <61>). Using bovine serum albumin for ATM instead of foetal bovine serum (FBS) provides better lot-to-lot consistency and eliminates the risk of RNA degradation by RNases present in FBS, giving users and clinicians greater confidence in their test results.