bioLytical Laboratories Inc, a world leader in rapid diagnostic tests for infectious diseases, is pleased to announce that it will receive advisory services and funding from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP) to develop a one-minute test for antibodies to SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Coronavirus disease (COVID-19). The announcement comes after yesterday’s COVID-19 update from the Government of Canada, where the project was discussed.
The new INSTI COVID-19 Antibody Test is being developed on bioLytical’s proprietary INSTI platform, an innovative testing technology that detects antibodies within 1-minute from a single drop of blood. INSTI is made in Canada and known for its fast, easy-to-use, and accurate serological tests.
As an antibody test, an INSTI test for SARS-CoV-2 can be an important part of the testing strategy in Canada and around the world. By showing whether an individual has developed an immune response to the virus, antibody testing can provide evidence of the true extent of COVID-19 infections in the general population. Additionally, antibody tests can support scientists in analyzing the effectiveness of future vaccines or identify those who require a vaccine. As public health leaders embrace measures such as drive-thru testing for COVID-19, a one-minute test provides efficiency and convenience which benefits providers and the individuals receiving testing.
By detecting antibodies to COVID-19 in a single drop of blood, INSTI does not require additional materials such as swabs. Along with the test device, all materials required to perform the test are provided together in one small pouch; leading this testing platform to become known as “a lab in a pouch.”
Each year, millions of INSTI HIV Antibody Tests are used by departments of health, physicians, pharmacists, community-based organizations and in hospitals, correctional centres and other care facilities all over the world. It is more than 99% accurate and has global regulatory approvals including US FDA Approval, Health Canada Licence, CE Mark and WHO Prequalification. This same technology is used in the INSTI HIV Self Test, an innovative solution for individuals to test themselves for HIV at home. The self-test is CE Marked and WHO Prequalified, and recently completed clinical trials in Canada. bioLytical has also developed testing solutions to tackle global health issues including Syphilis and Hepatitis C.
The INSTI SARS-CoV-2 test development project is funded by NRC IRAP, which has provided advice and financial resources to Canadian companies for more than 70 years, helping them bring innovative ideas to market. The development of an INSTI test responds to the national desire to accelerate research and development for solutions to address COVID-19 related gaps and challenges identified by health experts. One such gap is the need for a reliable and rapid antibody test to support the medical community in monitoring the spread of the virus.
Visit insti.com/covid19/ to sign up for updates on bioLytical’s SARS-CoV-2 tests and other tests in development.