After introducing two research use only (RUO) mpox assays in August, Seegene has expanded its mpox assay line with a third RUO assay designed to address the spread of the mpox virus variant clade Ib currently prevalent in the mpox outbreak in Africa.
The newly introduced Novaplex MPXV/OPXV plus Assay (RUO) is designed to detect three targets responsible for mpox: nonvariola orthopoxvirus (OPXV) and mpox virus (MPVX) with specific confirmation of MPXV clade I. MPXV clade I is associated with higher transmission and mortality rates than MPXV clade II.
The Novaplex MPXV/OPXV plus Assay meets the preferred target product profiles issued by the World Health Organization, which is intended to guide manufacturers, suppliers, and researchers in the development of new assays for mpox virus detection. Additionally, it aligns with the preferred target analyte criteria for distinguishing between clades I and II, according to Seegene.
The two PCR assays that Seegene released in August are the Novaplex MPXV/OPXV Assay (RUO), which is designed to detect pathogens caused by orthopoxviruses, including clades I and II of the mpox virus, and the Novaplex HSV-1&2/VZV/MPXV Assay (RUO), which is designed to detect clades I and II of the mpox virus and types 1 and 2 of the herpes simplex virus (HSV), as well as the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), which exhibits symptoms similar to the mpox virus.
As of September 6, there have been 24,851 suspected cases, 5,549 confirmed cases, and 643 deaths reported in 2024 across the member states in the African Union, according to the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention. Cases of the mpox variant have been reported beyond the African continent in countries, including Sweden, Pakistan, the Philippines, Jordan, and Thailand.
