PLEASANTON, California, Dec. 16, 2013 (ANTARA/PRNewswire) -- Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today announced the launch of its new FLOW system for use with Laboratory Developed Tests (LDT) in Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and Latin America.* This user defined system offers full flexibility along the entire workflow chain, from primary sample handling to qPCR result analysis. The system has a broad range of laboratory applications in virology and microbiology. In addition, Roche's comprehensive offering of reagents, controls and assays designed and optimized to work on the FLOW instrumentation, brings a new level of convenience and standardization to laboratories who run a large volume of LDTs.
The workflow standardization and data automation enabled by FLOW is designed for applications typically required in laboratories performing laboratory developed testing with diverse molecular test menus, high sample numbers and large target variety. FLOW's software seamlessly connects all process steps, allowing for a new standard of result reliability and reproducibility and provides full traceability of data and direct communication to the laboratory information system (LIS).
"We were impressed by the flexibility FLOW offers to our applications and needs," said Kurt Handberg, Clinical Microbiology Department, Aarhus University Hospital, Skejby, Denmark. "FLOW is an open system, enabling us to apply our own in-house assays. In addition, it clearly improved the traceability of our qPCR testing results while reducing repetitive workload of our technicians"
"Customers with high throughput LDT applications need high result reliability, which is improved with the workflow automation," said Paul Brown, Head of Roche Molecular Diagnostics. "With the launch of FLOW, we can enhance automation in the LDT setting with the first IT-supported, sample-to-result qPCR workflow solution built on our well-established technologies and systems. To date, we have received very positive feedback from pilot users in European countries highlighting the increased result reliability."
The FLOW system will be immediately available in Europe, Asia Pacific, Africa and Latin America.
*The FLOW System is not available in the US and other territories.
About FLOW
The FLOW System is a non-IVD system for general laboratory use consisting of 5 components: 1) FLOW Software, 2) FLOW Primary Sample Handling System, 3) MagNA Pure 96 System for automated nucleic acid purification, 4) FLOW PCR Set Up System, and 5) the LightCycler® 480 System for amplification. FLOW Software is able to communicate with the customer's laboratory information system (LIS), receiving sample and associated analysis request information to generate work lists. For more information, please visit www.flow.roche.com.
About Roche
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is a leader in research-focused healthcare with combined strengths in pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Roche is the world's largest biotech company, with truly differentiated medicines in oncology, infectious diseases, inflammation, metabolism and neuroscience. Roche is also the world leader in in vitro diagnostics and tissue-based cancer diagnostics, and a frontrunner in diabetes management. Roche's personalized healthcare strategy aims at providing medicines and diagnostic tools that enable tangible improvements in the health, quality of life and survival of patients. In 2012 Roche had over 82,000 employees worldwide and invested over 8 billion Swiss francs in R&D. The Group posted sales of 45.5 billion Swiss francs. Genentech, in the United States, is a wholly owned member of the Roche Group. Roche is the majority shareholder in Chugai Pharmaceutical, Japan. For more information, please visit www.roche.com.
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