Israeli company developing 75-minute Covid-19 test kit

Rehovot-based AID Genomics Ltd. is developing a coronavirus (Covid-19) test kit that according to the company will provide results within 75 minutes.

The target audience of this kit is airports, sports arenas, entertainment venues and others, with the quick screening aimed at making gatherings of large crowds more feasible during the pandemic.

"We understood that there are many situations in which there is a need for a test that can provide quality results quickly," Izhak Haviv, chief scientist of AID Genomics, told Calcalist. "The quickest test at the moment provides results within 48 hours and isn't suitable for mass gatherings. We wanted to develop a solution that can identify a Covid-19 infection quickly. In addition, it was important for us that this test doesn't need to be executed by lab technicians but can be implemented by paramedics and the like. We checked several options and reached this kit that allows us, in field conditions, to provide results within 75 minutes." 

AID Genomics has yet to receive regulatory approval for its test kit. "Our product is ready, but we don't have regulatory approval. We are in the process of doing experiments and are hoping to receive approval in the coming months so that we can start to sell the kit by September," added Haviv. "There is a massive demand for this product."

Back in April, AID Genomics partnered with genome sequencing company Beijing Genomics Institute (BGI) to open a laboratory in Gaza that will conduct up to 3,000 coronavirus tests a day.

Founded in 2013, AID Genomics develops molecular diagnostic technologies designed to elucidate the genetic DNA profile of different patients and assist physicians in selecting safe and effective treatments tailored to each patient's genetic profile. The company was acquired in 2017 by Hong Kong-listed Aid Partners Capital Holdings for $23 million, according to Pitchbook data.

BGI was founded in 1999 and currently employs a team of 6,000 people.