Government signs a contract with Yorkshire led consortium for Covid test
The UK Government has entered into a contract with Abingdon Health, on behalf of the UK-Rapid Test Consortium (“UK-RTC”), for the supply of the AbC-19TM Rapid Antibody tests. As part of the contract the UK Government has placed its first order for one million COVID-19 rapid antibody tests.
The deal follows an independent evaluation commissioned by the UK government into the rapid antibody test, which will be published in full in due course by Public Health England, after peer review. And follows Abingdon Health fast-tracking the development and manufacture of the test, completing a process that would normally take 10 months or more, in weeks.
The test, which can be administered by healthcare professionals such as doctors, nurses, pharmacists and healthcare workers, uses a small drop of blood from a finger-prick, and produces results in 20 minutes, without the need to go to a specialised laboratory.
Having already received the “CE mark”, which indicates health and safety conformity for goods sold in the UK and EU and with mass production already underway, the test will make it possible to build a swift and clear picture of how the virus has spread throughout the UK population.
Abingdon Health CEO Chris Yates said: “Our test will help give a picture of how many people in the UK have antibodies. This will be a crucial part of the understanding of immunity to COVID-19.
“Mass testing will also help understand what the longevity of immunity is and, in time, help assess the efficiency of any vaccine on the market. In this respect, high-quality mass antibody testing has never been more important, and it will be critical for future public health responses.
“The UK Government order of the first one million tests is an endorsement of this UK designed, developed and manufactured high-quality rapid diagnostic test. It is a triumph of British business and a breakthrough for UK life sciences.
“We have ramped up production since the start of August and will be ready to deliver the first tests to the Government by early October. I would like to express my thanks to all my Abingdon Health colleagues for their tremendous support and hard work in achieving this milestone.”
The UK Government helped to set up the UK Rapid Test Consortium and invested in the development of the tests.
Health Minister Lord Bethell said: “This home antibody test developed by our outstanding British scientists and researchers at the UK Rapid Test Consortium will provide critical insight into how the infection has spread, growing our understanding of coronavirus so that we can better respond to it.”
