Avacta hopes to have test for virus up and running by the summer
HEALTHCARE FIRM Avacta is now at the prototype stage of its advanced test for Covid-19.
Wetherby based Avacta Group said it has reached a “highly specific prototype stage” which detects the virus spike protein at clinically relevant concentrations, i.e. appropriate for a clinical diagnostic test.
The method breaks up the spike protein captured from the samples by Affimer coated beads and is able to identify fragments of the spike protein at concentrations in the range found in patient samples generated from standard throat swabs.
When rolled out it could provide thousands of tests per day using standard hospital equipment not currently used in testing for coronavirus.
The next step in the development of the final product – which will run on the installed base of mass spectrometers in clinical laboratories around the world – is to evaluate and optimise the BAMS assay using patient samples at laboratory sites in the UK and US.
This will be done imminently before moving to manufacturing, clinical validation and approval for professional use in the summer.
Dr Alastair Smith, chief executive officer of Avacta Group, said: “I am very pleased with the rapid progress made by our partners at Adeptrix and delighted that the Affimer reagents that we have developed to detect the SARS-COV-2 spike protein are working very well in the BAMS assay.
“We are now looking forward to testing the prototype BAMS assay with patient samples in the UK very soon, whilst Adeptrix does the same at a site in the US. This will keep us on track for launch of a product for professional use in the summer.
“A Covid-19 BAMS assay could provide highly sensitive and specific testing for up to a thousand samples per day in the hospital setting using standard equipment that is available but not currently used for coronavirus testing thus contributing to an increase in global testing capacity.”
This will keep us on track for launch for use in the summer.
Dr Alastair Smith, chief executive officer of Avacta Group