Co-Diagnostics Touts PCR Platform Readiness for Potential Plague Threats

The Salt Lake City-based firm pointed to its experience with COVID-19, mpox, and Ebola as evidence of its rapid-response capabilities. Although the World Health Organization reported on October 10 that Russian authorities found no evidence of plague or ongoing transmission following the worker's death, the severity of pneumonic plague—the only form transmissible between humans—underscores the need for rapid diagnostic tools.

Co-Diagnostics CEO Dwight Egan stated that the company’s integrated platform, which utilizes patented Co-Primers technology and in-house manufacturing in the United States and India, remains prepared for emerging threats. The company’s current work on a point-of-care tuberculosis test, which features a proprietary instrument for processing sputum samples, is cited as a key asset. This specific experience in decentralized bacterial PCR testing could be adapted to detect Yersinia pestis, the bacterium responsible for plague. The company continues to monitor global health developments, though it noted that its PCR Pro platform has not yet received FDA clearance or authorization.