FDA posts new template for over-the-counter COVID-19 diagnostic tests

Reviewed by Emily Henderson, B.Sc.Jul 29 2020

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration posted a new template for commercial developers to help them develop and submit emergency use authorization (EUA) requests for COVID-19 diagnostic tests that can be performed entirely at home or in other settings besides a lab, such as offices or schools, and that could be available without a prescription.

The FDA continues to help facilitate innovation in test development, thereby enhancing Americans' access to COVID-19 tests. The recommendations provided today are intended to help get tests to market that are simple enough to use at home, similar to a pregnancy test. We hope that with the innovation we've seen in test development, we could see tests that you could buy at a drug store, swab your nose or collect saliva, run the test, and receive results within minutes at home, once these tests become available. These types of tests will be a game changer in our fight against COVID-19 and will be crucial as the nation looks toward reopening."

Stephen M. Hahn, M.D, FDA Commissioner

The template includes recommendations for validation when a sample is to be collected and analyzed, and results are to be returned without the need to send a sample to a lab for analysis. The template also gives recommendations for validation of tests that are intended to be made available over-the-counter, that is, without a prescription.

This template outlines the recommended performance for this type of test, including sensitivity and specificity. While the recommended sensitivity for these non-lab tests is lower than lab-based tests, the tremendous benefits of broader access to simple and fast testing options generally outweighs this risk.