[Courtesy of Philosys]
SEOUL -- Philosys Healthcare, a biomedical and medical healthcare producer in South Korea, has clinched a deal from German and Greek companies to provide a new coronavirus testing kit capable of diagnosing infection within 20 minutes by using saliva.
Philosys Healthcare said the deal with TAHA Life Science, a German biotechnology company, and GNP Diagnostic of Greece is worth 3.3 billion won (2.7 million) each in minimum orders. The company said its Gmate COVID-19 test cartridge takes 20 minutes for an on-site test, using the sandwich Immunoassay method which shakes the filter to pick only the coronavirus.
Gmate COVID-19 has yet to secure approval from South Korean health authorities which have authorized the RT-PCR molecular diagnosis method which cannot digest a large amount of testing because it takes more than six hours on average and requires specialized facilities.
Philosys Healthcare said that the surface of its diagnostic kit was specially treated to increase sensitivity and accuracy. It is useful for drive-thru and mobile clinics because the process of collecting samples is simple and takes little time to diagnose infection.
reporter
Lim Chang-won
cwlim34@ajunews.com
