Biotech firm's COVID-19 detection kit greenlighted for launch

It can now be used directly by laboratories or hospitals to test patients for clinical diagnosis.

Singapore-based biotech firm Veredus Laboratories has obtained the provisional authorisation from Singapore Health Sciences Authority (HSA) for its COVID-19 detection kit.

Dubbed as VereCoV Detection Kit, the device can now be used directly by laboratories or hospitals to test patients for clinical diagnosis. The kit was launched for research use only (RUO) test earlier this year.

It integrates an ultra-fast miniaturised PCR reactor for the amplification of nucleic acids and a customised microarray to qualitatively detect COVID-19 with the additional capability of detecting a subset of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV) within the same test.

Veredus also mentioned that this was made in collaboration with the Home Team Science and Technology Agency’s (HTX) Chemical, Biological, Radiology, Nuclear and Explosives (CBRNE) Centre of Expertise.