BioIQ Partners with Fulgent Genetics to Bring COVID-19 Variant Detection to COVID-19 Testing Programs

BioIQ, an analytics-driven population health engagement and testing platform company for top employers and health plans, announces a partnership with Fulgent Genetics, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLGT), a technology company providing comprehensive testing solutions, to offer viral genome sequencing capable of identifying various variants of the COVID-19 virus.

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Fulgent Genetics’ full viral genome sequencing is a new and rapidly evolving tool that better characterizes COVID-19 infections and the consequences of new variants in the population. The partnership makes it possible for BioIQ employer, government, and health plan customers to leverage Fulgent Genetics’ testing solution to inform testing regimens, clinical treatment protocols and vaccination strategies pursuant to the identified COVID-19 variant. Local public health agencies can similarly leverage the testing solution in ongoing population infection surveillance programs with BioIQ.

“With new COVID-19 variants emerging around the globe, there is growing concern that higher infectivity in some strains may result in faster spread of the virus,” noted Justin Bellante, BioIQ Founder, President, and COO. “This tool will be an important addition in the diagnostic armamentarium against COVID-19 by enabling BioIQ and its customers to more rapidly identify and quarantine individuals in cases where more infectious variants are present.”

“Fulgent Genetics’ full viral genome sequencing offering for COVID-19 leverages our capabilities in Next Generation Sequencing and represents the next evolution in COVID-19 diagnostics, complementing our extensive RT-PCR based tests for the virus,” said Dr. Harry Gao, Chief Scientific Officer of Fulgent Genetics. “Some variants spread faster than others, warranting a more rigorous testing protocol in populations where that strain is identified. COVID-19 vaccine effectiveness is also dependent on the virus variant. Identification of specific COVID-19 variants will enable BioIQ and its customers to implement the most effective plan of action for responding to and mitigating the spread of COVID-19.”

“The addition of Fulgent Genetics’ variant testing solution to BioIQ’s COVID-19 testing framework brings unparalleled triage intelligence to testing efforts,” said Sean Slovenski, BioIQ CEO. “We remain committed to integrating the latest, cutting-edge advancements in COVID-19 diagnostics into our testing ecosystem to support the most effective and responsible response to the pandemic through best-practice population health protocol.”

Addition of the Fulgent variant test to the BioIQ digital diagnostic testing ecosystem is the latest announcement in an ever-growing lineup of resources designed to help employers, health plans, and public health agencies respond to the COVID-19 epidemic. Since the onset of the pandemic, BioIQ has continuously brought cutting-edge COVID-19 testing solutions to market. From saliva-based tests; to combined COVID-19 and flu panel tests; to mobile, on-site testing; and now variant detection; the company continues to lead the market in COVID-19 diagnostics and program management solutions.

BioIQ’s COVID-19 and infectious disease platform encompasses on-site, retail, and home self-collection workflows across a variety of test types within a consumer friendly, digital experience. The BioIQ framework helps employers, health plans, and local public health agencies gain access to a national network of testing options; implement convenient, analytics-driven programs to efficiently facilitate testing; and monitor and manage the patient testing journey from end-to-end.

To learn more about BioIQ’s COVID-19 testing programs and solutions, as well as other services to protect workforces and communities, visit www.bioiq.com.

About BioIQ

BioIQ is modernizing the diagnostic testing industry through a national network of labs and customized solutions that support payors, employers, and consumers. By aggregating testing solutions, optimizing lab capacity, and integrating testing with customers’ needs and strategies, BioIQ ensures resilience and reliability so that employers and payors can protect workforces and members. With its first-of-its-kind health connectivity platform, BioIQ is uniquely positioned at the convergence of population health and the consumerization and retailization of healthcare to drive the shift to value-based care for payers and employers. Since 2005, BioIQ has launched thousands of successful health testing programs serving millions of participants. For more information, visit www.bioiq.com.

About Fulgent Genetics

Fulgent Genetics’ proprietary technology platform has created a broad, flexible test menu and the ability to continually expand and improve its proprietary genetic reference library while maintaining accessible pricing, high accuracy and competitive turnaround times. Combining next generation sequencing (“NGS”) with its technology platform, the company performs full-gene sequencing with deletion/duplication analysis in an array of panels that can be tailored to meet specific customer needs. Since March 2020, the company has commercially launched several tests for the detection of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes the novel coronavirus (“COVID-19”), including NGS and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (“RT-PCR”) – based tests. A cornerstone of the company’s business is its ability to provide expansive options and flexibility for all clients’ unique testing needs through a comprehensive technology offering including cloud computing, pipeline services, record management, web portal services, clinical workflow, sequencing as a service and automated lab services.

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