Trials of rapid virus test developed by Horsham company
A new rapid test for coronavirus developed by a Horsham company has gone on trial in Hampshire and could soon be rolled out across the country.
OptiGene - which is based in Blatchford Road, Horsham - says that 300 patient samples can be processed in an hour on a single instrument without the need to go to a lab.
OptiGene managing director Michael Andreou said: “This specific and extremely sensitive test can operate directly from nasal and throat swabs to produce results in less than 20 minutes.”
The Department for Health and Social Care annnounced last week that the test “has been shown to be highly effective in clinical settings and will now be trialled in a number of A&E departments, GP testing hubs and care homes in Hampshire.”
Up to 4,000 people of all ages and backgrounds will be tested over a six week period before the test is rolled out nationwide if effective.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock said: “This new test could provide accurate results almost on the spot.
This will enable health and care workers to carry on with their shift or immediately isolate on the same day, and could eventually offer the same benefit to the whole country.
“This could change the way that we control Covid-19 across the country, getting those with negative results back into society as quickly as possible.”
OptiGene - a joint venture with Horsham based company OptiSense and Camberley-based firm GeneSys - first began work on devising test equipment as soon as the virus DNA sequence data was released by the Chinese.
The new test is being run on a series of instruments, developed and manufactured by OptiSense in Horsham and is sold under the OptiGene brand and includes both portable battery-powered devices as well as a larger highthroughput model.