Domestic manufacturers of diagnostic kits detecting the Covid-19 virus are busy getting ready for shipments of their products.
Encouraged by the booming business, the drugmakers have jumped into the fray, believing that the global demand for Covid-19 testing kits will keep expanding this year.
Philosys Healthcare said on Monday it obtained approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety to export its rapid antigen test kit, “Gmate COVID-19 Ag. Philosys Healthcare recently inked a deal to ship the product to Malaysia.
An official at Philosys Healthcare said the company has begun shipments in earnest, with the export approval. “On Jan. 21, when we won the export approval, we shipped 600,000 units. We plan to export about 1.5 million kits by February. We’re discussing with European countries, such as Romania and Greece, too,” he said.
On Jan. 21, Seegene said its new kit detecting five viruses, including Covid-19 and influenza, has won product registration approval by the Brazilian Health Regulatory Agency (ANVISA). Last year, the company exported 10 million units of Allplex SARS-CoV-2/FluA/FluB/RSV Assay to Brazil through the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) mediation.
Seegene also plans to export its Covid-19 testing kit to Peru, as it won the final bid for the “Peru NIH Screening Project” conducted by Peru’s National Institute of Health (NIH).
“After entering the Latin American market, we can expand into a new market with the sale of Covid-19 simultaneous diagnostic kit and solidify our position in Latin America,” an official at Seegene said.
Diagnostic kit makers are also actively clinching a deal with local pharmaceutical firms.
On Jan. 21, Humasis said in a public filing that it agreed with Celltrion to supply Covid-19 antigen testing kits. The deal was worth 4.32 billion won ($3.9 million), equivalent to 47.25 percent of Humasis’ revenue in 2019.
SD BioSensor will supply Hanmi Pharmaceutical with a rapid antigen test kit, HANMI COVID-19 Quick TEST, which will arrive in the local market in early February.
Hanmi said it would supply it to medical institutions and companies having medical care rooms.
Genuone Sciences said it would export CTC Bio’s antibody diagnostic device to Russia. Genuone Sciences is a new company founded by IMM Private Equity after acquiring Kolmar Korea and Kolmar Pharma's pharma business unit.
Kolmar Korea had originally planned to sign an exclusive deal with a Russian company to export Covid-19 testing kit last year. Genuone Sciences said it would continue Kolmar Korea’s agreement on Russia.
However, Genuone Sciences said it did not plan to supply the testing kit for the Korean market.