By Kristy Dorsey
A consortium that includes Scotland’s Omega Diagnostics is within weeks of scaling up mass production of a rapid at-home test kit for Covid-19.
The UK Rapid Test Consortium (UK-RTC) led by York-based Abingdon Health has reported “significant progress” on the project, which is part of the Government’s national strategy for managing the virus. First announced on April 9, the project’s partners – who also include BBI Solutions, CIGA and the University of Oxford – expect to be producing up to 50 million tests per year.
“We expect to reach design freeze in June, which will allow us to move onto scale up, verification and validation activities, prior to the test being made available for manufacture,” the RTC said in a statement.
READ MORE: Omega Diagnostics surges as virus testing plans progress
Omega Diagnostics is providing development support and will provide volume manufacturing at its headquarters in Alva. Chief executive Colin King welcomed the headway that has been achieved since the project’s inception seven weeks ago.
“I am really impressed with the progress Abingdon have made to date with the development in such a short period of time,” he said. “Everyone is working extremely hard to deliver a high-quality product as soon as possible to help play a part in returning life back to more normal levels in the UK.”
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