Q² Solutions, a subsidiary of Iqvia, on Thursday announced the launch of a self-collection safety lab panel for U.S. clinical trial participants that it developed in collaboration with Tasso, a manufacturer of clinical-grade blood collection solutions.
Participants in clinical trials can now provide a blood specimen for lab testing in the comfort of their own home without the need to visit an investigator site or have a healthcare professional visit them, Iqvia said.
The first test panel available through this collaboration is designed to help monitor liver function by measuring the levels of select enzymes and proteins in the blood. The panel includes tests for ALT (alanine transaminase), AST (aspartate aminotransferase), ALP (alkaline phosphatase), total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, total protein, and albumin.
“The global pandemic has accelerated the use of decentralized approaches in clinical trials,” Brian O’Dwyer, CEO of Q² Solutions, said in a statement. “Soon we will launch more than a dozen safety tests, and we are determined to continue to expand our catalog of tests available via the self-collection of blood.”
Devices developed by Tasso enable virtually painless blood collection for users. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has recently cleared the Tasso+ lancet, a whole liquid capillary blood collection tool, as a Class II medical device.
