[ad_1]
Jamie Smyth in Sydney
The US government has awarded a $ 231.8 million contract to an Australian diagnostics company to speed up production of the first Covid-19 home test kits that can be sold over the counter without a prescription.
Ellume, a Brisbane-based company, said the deal would allow it to establish its first manufacturing facility in the United States and provide 8.5 million test kits to the U.S. government to help fight the pandemic.
The test consists of a nasal swab analyzer that connects to an app on users’ smartphones, providing quick results without sending samples to a lab.
This is the first emergency self-administered home test kit granted by the United States Food and Drug Administration, which is hoping the technology can help control the spread of Covid-19. US officials say the tests can provide results in 15 minutes, with an accuracy rate of around 95%.
“They can be used if you are experiencing symptoms of COVID-19 and also for screening people without symptoms so they can go to work, school and events safely,” said Andy Slavitt, White House coronavirus advisor at a press conference.
The US government has provided a $ 30 million grant to help develop single-use antigen tests, which are expected to cost $ 30 per kit.
Ellume said it will deliver 100,000 tests per month from its Australian manufacturing facility to the construction of the new U.S. manufacturing facility.
At full capacity, the U.S. facility will be able to produce up to 19 million tests per month, the Australian company said in a statement.
“We are prioritizing our partnership with the US government to mobilize testing quickly and in the most efficient manner,” said Dr Sean Parsons, founder of Ellume. “We will fulfill the order for these tests at the same time as we increase production at our production facilities, thus creating more opportunities for retail and private institutions in the future.”
[ad_2]
