Argonaut Manufacturing Services, a contract manufacturing organization (CMO) serving the life sciences, molecular diagnostics, and biopharma industries, has completed an expansion of their Viral Transport Media (VTM) filling capabilities for COVID-19 testing. This expansion allows Argonaut to support the increased worldwide demand for contract VTM production driven by the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC’s guidelines for COVID-19 testing specify sample swabs should be immediately stored in VTM or similar media, making it essential to the testing pipeline.
 
“Our team has done an exceptional job in quickly scaling up our filling capabilities to assist in the COVID-19 effort,” said Wayne Woodard, chief executive officer, Argonaut. “We have been able to increase these production capacities, while at the same time helping clients to lay the groundwork for a smooth IVD filing transition post-EUA. Argonaut’s quality value proposition enables our clients to continue supplying their products without interruptions.”
 
Eric Blair, chief commercial officer, Argonaut, said, “Argonaut recognized the importance of VTM both to our clients and to global pandemic relief efforts, and made the decision to dedicate new resources to this service offering. We are now accepting inquiries for additional large-scale VTM production projects.”