Twist Bioscience to Offer Synthetic RNA Control for UK Variant Strain of SARS-CoV-2
December 23 2020 - 7:00AM
Business Wire
-- VUI-202012/01 Variant May Increase
SARS-CoV-2 Transmissibility by 70% --
-- Controls to be Used to Develop, Verify
and Validate Tests that Identify More Transmissible Variant
--
Twist Bioscience Corporation (Nasdaq: TWST), a company enabling
customers to succeed through its offering of high-quality synthetic
DNA using its silicon platform, today announced plans to offer a
new synthetic RNA control that includes the new variant of
SARS-CoV-2 circulating in the United Kingdom and South Africa. This
new variant strain of SARS-CoV-2 contains multiple spike protein
mutations as well as mutations in other areas of the viral
genome.
According to the European Centers for Disease Control,
preliminary analysis in the UK suggests that this variant is
significantly more transmissible than previously circulating
variants, with an estimated increased transmissibility of up to 70
percent. The newly identified strain is known as the B1.1.7
lineage, variant under investigation VUI-202012/01, and does not
appear to be more deadly than prior strains of SARS-CoV-2. With
this new strain, some of the RT-PCR probes used widely in COVID-19
testing no longer detect the S gene that codes for the spike
protein in SARS-CoV-2.
“With SARS-CoV-2 moving quickly throughout countries and
regions, at Twist we remain vigilant in identifying ways we can
support in the fight against the pandemic,” said Emily M. Leproust,
Ph.D., CEO and co-founder of Twist Bioscience. “With sequence data
available for this new rapidly spreading strain only recently, we
quickly leveraged our synthesis platform to begin the process of
offering synthetic controls for this specific mutation so our
customers can implement any needed changes in their testing
protocols and development objectives. We believe that now more than
ever, we must continue to respond rapidly, bringing our expertise
and tools to the fore in the fight against COVID-19.”
Twist expects the new control to be available for customers by
January 15, 2021. For more information on Twist RNA Synthetic
Controls for SARS-CoV-2, please visit:
https://www.twistbioscience.com/resources/product-sheet/twist-synthetic-sars-cov-2-rna-controls.
In March, Twist launched synthetic SARS-CoV-2 RNA distinct
reference sequences as positive controls for the development of
both next-generation sequencing (NGS) and reverse
transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays to test for
SARS-CoV-2. These controls continue to be included in many
different assays worldwide and can be used to determine the limit
of detection, monitor day-to-day test variations and are included
on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website as reference
materials for SARS-CoV-2. In June, additional SARS-CoV-2 controls
were released to cover the evolution of the virus.
The Twist synthetic controls are designed based on specific
SARS-CoV-2 variants, cover the full viral genome and are
sequence-verified. For customers interested in alternative variants
of SARS-CoV-2, Twist can provide custom controls and offers a suite
of research tools including next-generation sequencing (NGS)
products for SARS-CoV-2 as well as a broad respiratory panel and
the most comprehensive viral panel. For more information on the
Twist products to combat COVID-19, please visit:
https://www.twistbioscience.com/coronavirus-research-tools.
Customers purchasing synthetic controls are subject to Twist’s
leading biosecurity screening protocols and applicable laws and
regulations.
About Twist Bioscience Corporation
Twist Bioscience is a leading and rapidly growing synthetic
biology and genomics company that has developed a disruptive DNA
synthesis platform to industrialize the engineering of biology. The
core of the platform is a proprietary technology that pioneers a
new method of manufacturing synthetic DNA by “writing” DNA on a
silicon chip. Twist is leveraging its unique technology to
manufacture a broad range of synthetic DNA-based products,
including synthetic genes, tools for next-generation sequencing
(NGS) preparation, and antibody libraries for drug discovery and
development. Twist is also pursuing longer-term opportunities in
digital data storage in DNA and biologics drug discovery. Twist
makes products for use across many industries including healthcare,
industrial chemicals, agriculture and academic research.
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Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements. All
statements other than statements of historical facts contained
herein, including without limitation Twist’s ability to deliver
synthetic controls for SARS-CoV-2 to its customers and its launch
of additional controls in January, are forward-looking statements
reflecting the current beliefs and expectations of management made
pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities
Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements
involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other important
factors that may cause Twist Bioscience’s actual results,
performance, or achievements to be materially different from any
future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied
by the forward-looking statements. Such risks and uncertainties
include, among others, the risks and uncertainties of the ability
to attract new customers and retain and grow sales from existing
customers; risks and uncertainties of rapidly changing technologies
and extensive competition in synthetic biology could make the
products Twist Bioscience is developing obsolete or
non-competitive; uncertainties of the retention of a significant
customer; risks of third party claims alleging infringement of
patents and proprietary rights or seeking to invalidate Twist
Bioscience’s patents or proprietary rights; and the risk that Twist
Bioscience’s proprietary rights may be insufficient to protect its
technologies. For a further description of the risks and
uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those
expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks
relating to Twist Bioscience’s business in general, see Twist
Bioscience’s risk factors set forth in Twist Bioscience’s Quarterly
Report Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission
on November 27, 2020 and subsequent filings with the SEC. Any
forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak
only as of the date hereof, and Twist Bioscience specifically
disclaims any obligation to update any forward-looking statement,
whether as a result of new information, future events or
otherwise.
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20201223005061/en/
Angela Bitting SVP, Corporate Affairs 925- 202-6211
abitting@twistbioscience.com
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