UoH start-up develops two saliva sample based COVID diagnostic tests These tests detect neutralising activity of samples in response to vaccine

ReaGene Innovations Pvt Ltd, a start-up incubated at the University of Hyderabad’s Incubation centre, ASPIRE BioNEST, has developed two diagnostic tests, Elisa and Fast Flow Spot, based on saliva samples, to detect the neutralising activity of samples in response to COVID vaccination.

After any vaccine against COVID, the body develops neutralising antibodies which help fight the virus. The degree of protection offered by the vaccine depends on the neutralising antibodies that are generated by the individual’s immune system. After some time, the neutralising antibody decreases, and booster doses may be required, said an official spokesman on Thursday.

Elisa diagnostic test can be used in a hospital or pathology lab setting that can quantitatively assess multiple samples at the same time, where as Fast Flow Spot diagnostic test is a single user test that can be used by individuals at home.

Both diagnostics differ from other tests that measure neutralising antibodies in blood samples because ReaGene Innovations’ tests only need an individual’s saliva sample.

ReaGene Innovations has now entered a partnership with Lay Science Inc, USA, a global leader in innovative products for COVID-19, for development of the two patent pending diagnostics through commercialisation and the former will receive royalty payments upon the successful launch of the diagnostic tests.

“With Lay Science support, we will be able to globally launch these two tests, which will help us in our fight against coronavirus as it will accelerate the launch of two innovative diagnostics for patients,” said co-founders of ReaGene Innovations Uday Saxena and Subrahmanyam Vangala. 

“These saliva-based tests offer yet another line of defence against the onslaught of rapidly evolving SARS-CoV-2 viral variants as they are simple and easy-to-use,” added Lay Science chief executive officer Satish Chandran. The company’s flagship product, ImmunIgY, is the first-in-class antibody-based oral product developed to address the pivotal step in COVID viral entry and infection.

UoH vice-chancellor B.J. Rao and ASPIRE director G.S. Prasad, coordinator S. Rajagopal expressed their happiness over the university’s ecosystem enabling companies to come up with innovative products and hoped that the tests will be of great help to public.

Retrieved from: The Hindu

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