QIAGEN and Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz collaborate to enhance malaria and dengue detection in Brazil’s national screening programs

Advanced PCR-based screening platform deployed nationwide across 30 laboratories provides new capabilities to detect malaria, HIV, HCV, and HBV in blood donations // Advanced capabilities support epidemiological surveillance of ongoing dengue outbreak in Brazil with unique chemistry developed by QIAGEN and Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz // Partnership highlights QIAGEN’s commitment to custom and OEM solutions, technology transfer and long-term support

Venlo, the Netherlands, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sept. 12, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- QIAGEN (NYSE: QGEN; Frankfurt Prime Standard: QIA) today announced the expansion of its strategic partnership with Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz, the leading provider of vaccines and diagnostics to the Brazilian Ministry of Health. The partnership, initiated in 2009, supported Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz with reagents and instruments for testing samples for HIV and hepatitis C virus. With the expansion of this collaboration, Bio-Manguinhos is now able to launch an advanced PCR-based molecular screening platform to detect malaria alongside HIV, hepatitis B and C virus (HCV and HBV), a capability previously unavailable in Brazil’s blood donation program. It also supports epidemiological surveillance of Brazil’s ongoing dengue epidemic by composing Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz dengue molecular kits based on unique chemistry developed by QIAGEN and Bio-Manguinhos/Fiocruz. QIAGEN will supply critical molecular biology technologies, custom solutions, and comprehensive training to facilitate Brazil’s public health initiative.

The advanced Brazilian Nucleic Acid Test (NAT Plus) platform, leveraging QIAGEN’s PCR reagents, was recently rolled out as part of Brazil’s national blood screening program. Initiated in 2010, this is the largest blood donation safety initiative in the country’s history. Every year, five million blood donations are performed in Brazil, with 70% conducted by public blood banks. This latest advancement improves transfusional safety by detecting malaria and closing the “diagnostic window” between the time of infection and laboratory diagnosis. It is currently operational in 30 laboratories and is critical to safeguarding blood supplies in regions where these diseases are not endemic. QIAGEN and Bio-Manguinhos have been partnering since 2009 to equip Brazil’s national blood screening program with advanced molecular testing solutions.