How Labcorp, Abbott, BD, Siemens plan to expand home testing market

Elise Reuter

Reporter

Abbott Laboratories plans to expand its home testing beyond COVID-19. Scott Olson via Getty Images

At-home tests, once considered an anomaly, became de rigueur and a boon for diagnostic companies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, as COVID-19 testing rates decline from their pandemic peak, these businesses see an opportunity in direct-to-consumer testing, a market that Quest Diagnostics says could total $2 billion by 2025. 

“Never before has the general population been more aware of in vitro diagnostics and the relevance of our industry than in the last two years with COVID-19,” Jenna Urquhart, head of new franchise business development for Siemens Healthineers, said in an email. “Thanks to the prevalence of rapid antigen tests, people have learned that it is possible to collect a sample, run a test, and receive results in minutes, all in the comfort of their own homes.” 

Four of the largest diagnostics firms surveyed by MedTech Dive said they plan to continue offering COVID-19 testing and will add other types of at-home tests. Some companies said they see an opportunity in detecting other infectious diseases, while others expect increasing demand from patients managing chronic health conditions.

Here’s a summary of their responses: 

What at-home tests do they offer now?

Becton Dickinson currently offers its Veritor At-Home COVID-19 Test, a rapid antigen test that was authorized for emergency use by the Food and Drug Administration last year. A pack of two tests costs $37 at CVS. 

Siemens Healthineers sells its CLINITEST rapid COVID-19 antigen self-test, which it says can provide results in 15 minutes. A five-pack of tests costs about $35 on Amazon. 

Abbott Laboratories’ BinaxNOW rapid antigen tests continue to surpass its expectations for sales. In the third quarter, the company brought in about $1.6 billion from at-home testing alone. A pack of two tests costs $24 at CVS. 

Labcorp offers several at-home collection kits, where patients can collect samples at home and mail them to a laboratory for processing. It sells a collection kit for a COVID-19 molecular test, which costs $119, as well as a combination COVID, flu and RSV test for $169. The company also offers screening for other conditions, including an at-home colon cancer test kit and a hemoglobin A1c test to assess diabetes risk. It also sells a rapid fertility test for men.