Developers of tests for the SARS-CoV-2 virus have gained a tremendous amount of experience in a very small amount of time, and of all the media for sampling, saliva offers the easiest route for test administration. The U.S. FDA’s Tim Stenzel said on the Aug. 5 testing town hall, however, that the FDA and developers have discovered that this is an extremely difficult medium to work with.

The U.S. FDA gave an emergency use authorization (EUA) to the first semi-quantitative antibody test from Siemens Healthineers AG for the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This test, known as the SARS-CoV-2 IgG (COV2G) antibody test, could potentially be used repeatedly over time to assess relative levels to gauge potential immunity.

Eko Devices Inc. said Tuesday that it is collaborating with British pharma giant Astrazeneca plc to speed the development of digital health tools to improve early detection of cardiovascular diseases, including heart failure. The partnership could lead to more personalized care for heart failure patients, improving long-term outcomes.