NanoEntek, Additional Supply of COVID-19 Antigen Test Kits to Italy

[Asia Economy Reporter Jang Hyowon] NanoEntek (CEO Jeong Chan-il) announced on the 20th that it will additionally supply 400,000 tests of its novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) antigen diagnostic kit (FREND COVID19 Ag) to Italy.

NanoEntek had previously supplied 200,000 tests to the Italian diagnostic company Arrow Diagnostics in December and January. The newly ordered 400,000 tests are scheduled for delivery in February, and discussions are currently underway for additional supplies after March.

NanoEntek’s COVID-19 antigen diagnostic kit received high scores in clinical evaluations conducted at Italy’s Ospedale San Martino, achieving a sensitivity of 96.7% and specificity of 100.0%. Based on these results, Arrow offered exclusive distribution rights for the Italian region, and NanoEntek is currently supplying the kits through them.

If the accuracy of COVID-19 antigen kits is sufficiently high, they can be widely used for rapid initial infection testing in many countries where molecular diagnostics are difficult. NanoEntek’s antigen kit utilizes a lab-on-a-chip platform that integrates semiconductor design technology (MEMS) with biotechnology, enabling highly accurate testing within 3 minutes. Additionally, it features quantitative detection that expresses test results numerically according to the user’s purpose, making it suitable for use not only in general testing centers but also in research institutes, vaccine companies, and various other settings.

A NanoEntek representative expressed the company’s ambition that, since accuracy is crucial for antigen kits, its FREND diagnostic system will establish itself as the standard for COVID-19 antigen testing. The representative also noted that exports are increasing not only to Italy but also to other countries including Germany, and that manufacturing facilities are operating in full three-shift mode, projecting a positive outlook for 2021 performance.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.