When respiratory testing rises, laboratories need the products they rely on available where specimens are collected and ready to move. UTM-RT® is made in the USA, backed by expanded domestic production and sourcing, and in stock for respiratory-season planning across the Americas.
For laboratories serving communities across North, Central, and South America, that means a familiar transport medium made closer to the markets Copan Diagnostics serves. It is a practical investment in American manufacturing and in the people, facilities, and quality systems behind the supply.
Made in America, for the Americas we serve.
Copan Group was founded in Italy in 1979. In 1994, Copan Diagnostics was established in California to bring Copan products to the United States and Canada. Today, Copan Diagnostics serves laboratories across North and South America. Since then, the company has continued to expand its U.S. production facilities and capabilities to support growing demand throughout the region.[4]
In September 2025, Copan announced more than $7 million in additional U.S. manufacturing investment across its California and Puerto Rico facilities.[1]
The initiative covers facility expansion, new production technologies, US-based sourcing of components and reagents, and a centralized quality assurance laboratory. It includes UTM-RT® Universal Transport Medium™ kits among the products supported by the expansion. The goal is practical: produce closer to customers across North, South, and Central America, reduce reliance on overseas supply chains, and respond faster when demand moves.[1]
A reliable workflow, produced closer to home.
FDA 510(k) K232357 supports the intended use of UTM-RT® for stabilization and transportation of an unprocessed upper respiratory clinical specimen suspected of containing respiratory viruses’ nucleic acids, for use with compatible molecular assays.[2] UTM-RT® is available in multiple bulk-tube and collection-kit configurations, and selected kits include a nylon flocked swab.[3]
Made in the USA. Produced closer to home. Ready across the Americas before respiratory demand reaches its peak.
In stock now, so planning can start before the surge.
UTM-RT® is available now through Copan Diagnostics and participating distributors. Before respiratory activity accelerates, laboratories can confirm the right configuration for each collection site, review the applicable product and assay instructions, and establish distributor and backup ordering paths.
Expanded US manufacturing supports that planning with more capacity, more US-based sourcing, and production closer to laboratories across the Americas.
Prepare before the peak.
Respiratory season does not begin everywhere at once. Check where activity stands in your region, review the collection-to-testing path from the first swab to the assay, and secure the products your laboratory runs before local demand rises.
Get your lab prepared for the season.
Choose the UTM-RT® configuration your laboratory needs and order before respiratory demand rises.
Explore UTM-RT® →Sources
UTM-RT® Universal Transport Medium™ is intended for the stabilization and transportation of an unprocessed upper respiratory clinical specimen suspected of containing respiratory viruses’ nucleic acids and is intended for use with compatible molecular assays. Specimens transported for respiratory viral nucleic acid investigations should be processed within 96 hours when stored at 2–25°C. Applicable assay instructions may establish shorter or otherwise different specimen-handling conditions. Consult the UTM-RT® IFU and the assay manufacturer’s instructions for compatibility, collection requirements, and specific target-analyte processing directions. Product availability and configurations may vary.
