By GREGORY ZELLER //
Despite the lingering threat of COVID-19, Acupath has announced a world tour.
Actually, the tour is because of that lingering threat. Acupath Laboratories, the Plainview-based diagnostics ace that has executed a perfect pandemic pivot from cancer detection to COVID-19 analysis, is now an integral part of a comprehensive solution for international travelers in need of fast and accurate COVID testing.
The sub-specialized anatomic and molecular pathology authority has teamed up with cloud-based solutions provider CLX Health and TrustAssure, a digital platform focused on rapid laboratory diagnostics, to streamline COVID testing for passengers booking flights on dozens of airlines, en route to more than 75 global destinations.
With the partnership in place, travelers can find convenient COVID testing locations and book appointments through TrustAssure, a frequent collaborator with Delaware-based CLX Health. Acupath, one of few commercial laboratories licensed by New York State to detect COVID, handles the testing, with rapid results posted on the TrustAssure Provider Lab Portal and travelers quickly able to share that information with their airline.
Acupath, which in May 2020 earned FDA Emergency Use Authorization for its COVID-19 real-time polymerase chain reaction assay, is one of “a select group of laboratory providers in the greater New York City area meeting the COVID-19 testing needs for international travel destinations that require a negative PCR test for entry,” the Plainview laboratory said in a statement.
John Cucci: Come fly with me.
Other laboratories partnering with the TrustAssure platform on its international travel program include Enzo Biochem, a circa-1976 Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory biotechnology spinoff that relocated its corporate headquarters from Farmingdale to New York City in 2018.
The idea is to eliminate last-minute testing at the airport – and Acupath’s fast and accurate testing abilities make it a perfect partner for that effort, according to CLX Health Global Lab Director Bob Fluery.
“CLX Health is honored to have Acupath as a valuable lab in our network,” Fluery said in a statement, adding the Plainview pioneer would “[enable] the TrustAssure program to successfully provide COVID-19 testing for our partner airlines in the crucial New York City market.”
Since receiving its EUA in May 2020, Acupath has performed more than 600,000 real-time PCR assay COVID tests, largely for employers screening employees and patients preparing for elective surgeries. Its new partnership will further that mission while introducing the laboratory’s proprietary technology to a larger world, according to Chief Sales Officer John Cucci.
“Acupath is proud of our collaboration with CLX Health and the TrustAssure program as part of our continued efforts to help society return to normalcy,” Cucci said. “We are committed to delivering exceptional service and the fastest-possible PCR test turnaround time to facilitate international travel for those in the greater New York City area.”
