Roche Launches Newborn Screening Test for SMA, SCID and Sickle Cell Disease

Roche Holding AG (RHHBY, RO.SW, ROG.SW) announced on Sept. 30, 2026, that its subsidiary TIB MOLBIOL has launched the LightMix Newborn TREC/SMN1/HBB kit, an in vitro diagnostic test that simultaneously screens newborns for three severe genetic conditions: Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA), Severe Combined Immunodeficiency Disease (SCID) and Sickle Cell Disease (SCD). The IVDR-approved test is available in countries accepting the CE mark and runs on Roche's established LightCycler systems, targeting private and academic hospital laboratories. SMA causes progressive degeneration of spinal cord nerve cells. SCID is a group of rare disorders marked by nonfunctioning T cells that leave infants without a working immune system. SCD is an inherited red blood cell disorder caused by a mutation in the HBB gene. "By expanding our compliant newborn screening tools across Europe, we are helping laboratories transition to high-precision solutions that ensure no critical diagnosis is delayed," said TIB MOLBIOL CEO Marcus Droege.