Hologic awarded $19M to expand COVID, flu, RSV testing

Photo | Courtesy of Hologic Hologic announced that it received a $19 million grant for its research into assay testing products.

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By Kevin Koczwara

Marlborough-based medical technology company Hologic Inc. has been awarded a $19-million contract from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services for further research and development of the company’s COVID, flu and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) testing systems.

Hologic specializes in women’s health products but was able to use its medical research early during the pandemic to create COVID testing systems, which received emergency use authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. On the strength of the development of its COVID tests, the company’s revenues spiked 90% to more than $1.2 billion at the end of 2020, although those numbers dropped to more typical levels as demand for the testing decreased.

The company is using the $19 million from HHS’ Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, which was announced Nov. 2, to support its efforts in testing its new systems to detect COVID, flu, and RSV on its Panther Fusion assay, which is a procedure used for assessing or measuring for and the amount of something like those diseases.

"Hologic has made a significant impact responding to the pandemic by providing millions of highly accurate molecular tests," Kevin Thornal, group president for global diagnostic solutions at Hologic, said in a press release. "With the help of our tremendous partners at BARDA, and as the pandemic moves to its next phase, we look forward to transitioning COVID testing from EUA to full market authorization, as well as improving the country’s readiness for future pandemics.”