Irish-led research brings project takes new Covid-19 diagnostic test to market
Researchers involved in the HG nCoV19 test project have obtained approval to put a new rapid point-of-care diagnostic for Covid-19 on the market. The team was selected for funding from the EU research and innovation programme Horizon 2020 under the special call launched in January.
Bringing together public and private organisations from Ireland, Italy, the UK and China, the HG nCoV19 test project developed a new portable diagnostic system to detect viral infection that gives accurate and reliable results in 30 minutes.
HiberGene, the Irish company coordinating the project, announced that it had obtained the CE marking required for medical devices to be put on the market.
The HG nCoV19 test uses a low-complexity sample preparation method and can give results for samples with high to moderate viral loads, enabling rapid diagnosis of the disease at the early and highly infectious stage of infection.
While the total EU contribution to the project is €930,000, HiberGene has been supported by EU research and innovation funding since as far back as July 2000. The researchers have been making use of Horizon 2020 funds for the HG nCoV19 test project since mid-February.
Mariya Gabriel, Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education & Youth, said: “This is a great example of EU research in action. I am encouraged to see that these researchers have risen to the challenge, developed this new diagnostic system so fast, and delivered on one of the aims of our first emergency call. It’s crucial to diagnose coronavirus more quickly and more accurately, as it reduces the risk of further spread of the virus.”
The partners in the consortium, HiberGene in Dublin, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino in Genoa, Queens University in Belfast, and Medcaptain Medical Technologies in China, will continue to work together through the Horizon 2020 project to evaluate potential additional uses of the test, such as compatibility with new specimen types and patient cohorts.
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