Roche launches cobas 5800, a new molecular diagnostics system to expand access to testing and improve patient care

• Infectious diseases, such as those infections transmitted via respiratory, sexually and transplant, are becoming increasingly difficult to manage and represent an ever-growing medical need for millions of patients worldwide.
• Access to accurate and reliable diagnostic tests help clinicians improve patient care, limit healthcare spending and contribute to protecting public health.
• The cobas 5800 System is a compact new addition to the Roche Molecular portfolio, providing efficiency, simplicity and timely results to laboratories of all sizes so clinicians can quickly determine the best treatment strategies for their patients.

Basel, 18 November 2021 - Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) today announced the launch of the cobas® 5800 System, a new molecular laboratory instrument, in countries accepting the CE mark. Testing is one of the first lines of defense to protect a patient’s general well-being and is vitally important in quickly guiding their treatment. The cobas 5800 System helps address challenges that laboratories are facing from an increase in patient testing, reimbursement complexities and the need for a more diverse testing menu while providing meaningful and timely results.  

“Diagnostics continue to revolutionise how providers care for patients, and it is essential, now more than ever, that the healthcare community has access to reliable and accurate testing solutions,” said Thomas Schinecker, CEO Roche Diagnostics. ”We are pleased that we can now offer a compact, fully-automated molecular system such as the cobas 5800 System. This new system helps to address the high demands on labs through greater efficiency, optimised workflows and cost savings, enabling them to deliver quality patient care.” 

The cobas 5800 system, the newest member of the Roche Molecular Work Area, is built upon the innovation of the cobas® 6800 and cobas® 8800 systems, making molecular testing accessible to more patients around the world.

Roche anticipates receiving U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval during Q3 2022.

About the cobas 5800 System
The cobas 5800 System is a real-time PCR molecular testing solution that provides excellent performance and value-added utility from a compact footprint. The cobas 5800 System delivers automation, consolidation, integration and standardisation – making it a scalable, cost-efficient solution for smaller labs seeking big lab performance, or for bigger labs seeking small lab agility.

The system is built to offer a fully automated workflow that encompasses sample supply, transfer and preparation, amplification and detection, result calculation and delivery to the laboratory information system (LIS). The single module enables a walkaway time of up to eight hours*, resulting in less hands-on time, which can lead to improved productivity, reduced possibility for errors and more predictable turnaround times.

The cobas 5800 System will offer the same menu as the cobas 6800 and 8800 Systems, including the cobas® SARS-CoV-2 test. The system offers an expanded on board capacity allowing labs to test multiple assays simultaneously and delivers up to 144 results in an eight-hour shift. This streamlined molecular testing system will allow most labs to consolidate greater than 90 percent** of their routine molecular tests onto a single platform. For more information please visit diagnostics.roche.com.