26 Apr Additional Longer Term CDC Contract to Provide Genomic Sequencing of SARS-CoV-2
Nashville, Tennessee (April 26, 2021) – Aegis Sciences Corporation, a leading healthcare company that provides clinically innovative COVID-19 and medication compliance testing services, is pleased to announce that it has entered into a long term agreement with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to deliver 10,000 SARS-CoV-2 genomic sequences per week to enable strain identification and further the detection of novel mutations in the virus.
Genomic sequencing allows scientists to identify changes in the SARS-CoV-2 nucleotide sequence, monitor how it changes over time into new variants, understand how these changes affect the characteristics of the virus, and use this information to predict how it might affect public health. The collaboration with Aegis, and other laboratories across the US, is one of the approaches through which the CDC tracks emerging variants.
“Aegis has a proven track record of scientific and operational excellence in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Our molecular experience and capabilities allow us to continue to serve communities around the country in slowing the spread of the virus.” said Dr. Matthew Hardison, SVP Lab Operations Aegis Sciences Corporation.
Drawing from the diverse and broad reach of its national testing program, which includes a collaboration with Walgreens to perform COVID-19 testing for over 3,000 of its pharmacy locations, Aegis will perform next-generation sequencing analysis of de-identified positive samples from all 50 states and Puerto Rico. The combination of these two services will not only allow for efficient diagnosis of individuals that have been infected by SARS-CoV-2, but will also assist in identifying regional and national transmission of variants of concern. The viral genomic sequences will be provided to the CDC, along with source-geographic information. Aegis data will play a vital role in the expansion of sequencing capacity in the United States. Aegis will perform sequencing from its biopharma laboratory in Nashville, TN.
“Aegis is delighted to have been selected by CDC to partner in this crucial and important effort to better understand and track the evolution of the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This initiative, coupled with our significant COVID-19 testing relationship with Walgreens, will enhance efforts to more effectively manage the pandemic,” said Dr. Frank Basile, CEO of Aegis Sciences Corporation.
The partnership forged between Aegis and the CDC has already resulted in completion of next generation sequencing on over 20,000 samples. To highlight the initial findings, Aegis has created a white paper featuring an overview of our testing platform and results.
Next Generation Sequencing – Monitoring Change during the COVID-19 Pandemic
About Aegis Sciences Corporation
Founded in 1990, Aegis Sciences Corporation is a laboratory sciences company based in Nashville, Tenn., that provides science-driven testing and consulting services for clients such as healthcare providers, pharmaceutical companies, professional and amateur sports organizations, leading college and university athletic programs, Fortune 500 corporations, and government agencies throughout the United States. For more information please visit https://www.aegislabs.com/.