[Newsmaker] Celltrion to supply COVID-19 self-test kits to US
By Ahn Ju-heePublished : Feb. 3, 2022 - 15:42
Celltrion USA, the US subsidiary of the Korean biotech firm, said Thursday it signed multiple deals to supply COVID-19 self-test kits worth 400 billion won ($330 million) in the US by the first quarter of this year.
The latest deals involve some 10 government agencies and companies, including the Defense Logistics Agency and the e-commerce giant Amazon.
Two kinds of test packs will be supplied: DiaTrust COVID-19 Ag Home Test and DiaTrust COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test, both developed in partnership with Korean test kit specialist Humasis. Each received fast-track approvals from the US Food and Drug Agency in April and October, respectively.
Celltrion said a recent study conducted by the US National Institutes of Health has confirmed the effectiveness of the two test kits in detecting the omicron variant.
While securing a footing in the US with the latest deals, the firm added, it has also entered a new round of talks with several clients to supply more test kits in the second quarter.
“We‘re seeing a rise in demand for antigen tests in the US,” said a Celltrion official. “We will focus on scaling up our production to contribute to the fight against omicron and strengthen our brand in the market.”
The latest deals involve some 10 government agencies and companies, including the Defense Logistics Agency and the e-commerce giant Amazon.
Two kinds of test packs will be supplied: DiaTrust COVID-19 Ag Home Test and DiaTrust COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test, both developed in partnership with Korean test kit specialist Humasis. Each received fast-track approvals from the US Food and Drug Agency in April and October, respectively.
Celltrion said a recent study conducted by the US National Institutes of Health has confirmed the effectiveness of the two test kits in detecting the omicron variant.
While securing a footing in the US with the latest deals, the firm added, it has also entered a new round of talks with several clients to supply more test kits in the second quarter.
“We‘re seeing a rise in demand for antigen tests in the US,” said a Celltrion official. “We will focus on scaling up our production to contribute to the fight against omicron and strengthen our brand in the market.”