Pharmaceutical and Bio Industry Facing Omicron Variant... Expanding Domestic and International Supply of 'Rapid Antigen Test Kits'

The professional rapid antigen diagnostic kit 'Accurate Rapid COVID-19 Ag' supplied domestically through collaboration between Huons and Kels.
[Photo by Huons]

[Asia Economy Reporter Lee Gwanju] In response to the global pandemic of the Omicron variant, the domestic pharmaceutical and bio industry is expanding the supply of rapid antigen test kits both domestically and internationally. There is growing anticipation that expanding the supply of diagnostic kits will meet the increased demand and respond to COVID-19, while also pioneering new markets.

According to the industry on the 5th, major domestic pharmaceutical and bio companies have begun expanding the supply of professional rapid antigen diagnostic test kits. Huons has started supplying the 'Accurate Rapid COVID19 Ag,' a COVID-19 professional rapid antigen diagnostic kit, in collaboration with Kels, a bio-venture specializing in in vitro diagnostic medical devices.

This supply expansion aligns with the reorganization of the COVID-19 response system by the quarantine authorities. Due to the spread of the Omicron variant, the new response system mandates that, except for high-risk groups, PCR tests are only conducted when a 'positive' result is obtained from professional rapid antigen tests at local clinics and hospitals.

Huons plans to supply kits to medical institutions capable of conducting rapid antigen tests, including designated respiratory clinics nationwide. A Huons representative explained, "We decided to supply domestically through collaboration with Kels to actively respond to the increasing number of COVID-19 patients due to the spread of the Omicron variant," adding, "We plan to continue responding swiftly to domestic changes and adapt to the COVID-19 environment."

CelltrionUSA will supply 2 types of products, 'Diatrust COVID-19 Professional Antigen Rapid Test Kit' and 'Diatrust COVID-19 Antigen Home Test,' to the U.S. market with a volume worth 400 billion KRW by April.
[Photo by Celltrion]

Overseas supply is also becoming active. Celltrion's U.S. subsidiary, CelltrionUSA, has begun full-scale supply of two products jointly developed with Humasis, a specialist in in vitro diagnostics: the 'DiaTrust COVID-19 Professional Antigen Rapid Test Kit' and the 'DiaTrust COVID-19 Antigen Home Test.' These supplies are based on contracts with over ten companies, including the U.S. Department of Defense Procurement Agency and the world's largest e-commerce company, Amazon. The supply volume scheduled until April this year amounts to 400 billion KRW. It is also reported that CelltrionUSA has entered negotiations with major clients for additional supplies in the second quarter.

A CelltrionUSA representative stated, "As product demand and inquiries continue to increase, we expect to achieve record diagnostic kit sales in the first quarter," and added, "We will focus on supplying contracted diagnostic kits to contribute to preventing the spread of variant viruses while striving to enhance product and brand value through expanded supply."

Geumho HT has also signed a contract to supply 4 million rapid diagnostic kits for overseas use with a domestic medical device distribution company. Geumho HT obtained export approval for COVID-19 rapid diagnostic kits from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in December last year. The company stated, "In the current situation where confirmed COVID-19 cases are rapidly increasing due to variants such as Omicron, we have additionally produced and supplied rapid antigen diagnostic kits in response to strengthened public quarantine rules and increased demand for diagnostic products."

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety approved two new COVID-19 self-test kits the day before. The newly approved self-test kits are products from ZenBody and SuzenTec, both of which met the approval criteria of sensitivity above 90% and specificity above 99%.

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