Siemens Healthineers announced that it is now shipping worldwide its laboratory-based total antibody test1 to detect the presence of SARS-CoV-2 IgM and IgG antibodies in blood. The test received the CE mark and data has demonstrated 100 percent sensitivity2 and 99.8 percent specificity. The total antibody test allows for identification of patients who have developed an adaptive immune response, which indicates recent infection or prior exposure. The company is prepared to ramp up production as the pandemic evolves with capacity exceeding 50 million tests per month across its platforms starting in June. Siemens Healthineers is poised to increase production at the company’s Walpole (Walpole, Mass.) and Glasgow (Newark, Del.) facilities.
In 2016, Siemens agreed to an expansion of its facility in Walpole and received state and local incentives in a competitive process, including via the MLSC Tax Incentive program. The MLSC has continued to utilize the Tax Incentive Program to focus on leveraging diverse life sciences assets across the state to encourage job growth more equitably throughout Massachusetts.