SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 2, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Visby Medical™
today announced that it received a $12.3
million award to speed development of its rapid, single-use
Flu-COVID PCR Test from Biomedical Advanced Research and
Development Authority (BARDA), within the Office of the Assistant
Secretary for Preparedness and Response in the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services, under contract 75A50121C00019. This
agreement with BARDA may be extended for a total of up to
$48.7 million over a period of 38
months. It is imperative that frontline workers in the US have
rapid, accurate testing tools available to fight the spread of
COVID-19 infection.
This BARDA funding will advance a next-generation device to detect
flu and/or COVID-19 in one hand-held rapid PCR test
Founded by leading scientists in infectious diseases and
diagnostics, Visby Medical has been working to change the order in
which diagnosis and treatment of infectious disease occur. The FDA
provided emergency use authorization for Visby Medical's rapid
RT-PCR assay to detect the novel coronavirus. This BARDA funding
will advance a next-generation device to detect flu and/or COVID-19
in one hand-held rapid PCR test for use at the point-of-need and
eventually in consumer's homes as an over-the-counter
test.
"For decades we've known that delay in diagnosis can cost a
patient and doctor precious treatment time. We knew we had to
change the order to diagnose first, before treatment. It's not
enough to have a test; the test has to be right — and it has to be
right now," said Dr. Gary Schoolnik,
Chief Medical Officer at Visby Medical and Professor of Medicine at
Stanford University specializing in
infectious diseases. "Visby Medical's team brings a
multidisciplinary approach, combining the expertise of leading
scientists and doctors with engineers and product specialists to
bring innovative technology to the diagnostic space."
The Visby Medical Flu-COVID PCR Test will offer rapid PCR
testing in a single-use, all-in-one device that fits in the palm of
your hand. Designed for ease-of-use with no set-up time, and a fast
sample-to-result time of less than 30 minutes, it is intended to
detect and distinguish between Influenza A and B, and SARS-CoV-2.
BARDA funding will help Visby Medical speed the development of its
PCR Flu-COVID rapid test.
Adam de la Zerda, PhD, founder and Chief Executive Officer of
Visby Medical, is motivated by a sense of duty — to patients and
caregivers — to deliver rapid accurate testing results so doctors
can make informed treatment decisions for patients with infectious
diseases.
"For too long, our medical professionals have been fighting
blind without access to rapid, accurate diagnostic testing at the
point-of-care, forcing physicians to treat patients before seeing
the test result. The long-term cost to the patient, the doctor, and
our community can be detrimental, including the increasing public
health crisis of antibiotic resistance," de la Zerda said. "The
only way we can stop this is through rapid, and accurate
diagnostics. Effective diagnosis at the point of care is the first
step to both ending this pandemic and fighting the next. The good
news is the investments being made into medical diagnostics should
have a transformative effect long-term, and we are very pleased
that BARDA recognized the importance of the Visby Medical platform
technology in point-of-care and at-home settings."
About Visby Medical™:
Visby Medical has been working
to change the order of diagnosis and treatment of infectious
disease for a decade. Visby Medical has a single-use Personal PCR
diagnostic to rapidly test for serious infection. Tested, reviewed,
and endorsed by top public and private organizations, the first
commercial application of the Visby Medical technology received FDA
emergency use authorization for moderate-complexity laboratory
testing of symptomatic patients in the fight against COVID-19.
Visby is ramping production of its COVID-19 diagnostic test and is
gaining government and private partnerships to accelerate the
delivery of Personal PCR, designed for use at the point of care,
and eventually for use at home.
For more information, visit www.visbymedical.com. Follow Visby
Medical on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/visbymedical;
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter @VisbyMedical.
Contact: Stefanie Tuck,
(978)-390-1394, press@visbymedical.com
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SOURCE Visby Medical