Covid-19: Argentine company has developed antibodies test providing results in 10 minutes

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – Argentine biotech company Chemtest has collaborated with the National University of San Martin (UNSAM) and the University of Buenos Aires (UBA) to develop a rapid test for coronavirus antibodies, it was announced Thursday.

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The company said in a press release that the Chemstrip Covid19 IgM/IgG test provides qualitative results within 10 minutes of applying a drop of blood, serum, or plasma to two card-sized test strips that detect IgM and IgG antibodies.

The test, which has already been approved by Anmat and can be purchased by health centers in Argentina, was developed by Chemtest in collaboration with Unsam and UBA.

The kit qualitatively distinguishes between early-stage (IgM) and late-stage (IgG) SARS-CoV-2 antibodies.

It requires one drop of blood, serum, or plasma for each strip and results within 10 minutes. One line means a negative result, and two means a positive result, the company added in its statement.

According to Chemtest, the test is “ideal for diagnosing symptomatic, convalescent (recovered) or vaccinated cases and can also detect the presence of anti-SARS Cov2 antibodies in asymptomatic individuals.”

DEVELOPMENT

To develop this kit, Chemtest used “recombinant antigens developed by the Biotechnology Research Institute of the National University of San Martín (IIB-Unsam) and two faculties of the University of Buenos Aires: Pharmacy and Biochemistry (FFyB) and Exact and Natural Sciences (FCEyN).”

“This kit is a new example of the virtuous cycle we promote between national technology companies, university R&D centers, and local SME suppliers. Two public universities developed the biomolecules that are at the heart of the test. This is the first kit we have produced in the Cardtest format, and to achieve this it was necessary to use an adhesive specially developed by a local SME,” said Chemtest scientific director Diego Comerci.

The Argentine biotech company had already developed the Ela Chemstrip rapid molecular diagnostic kit, which was used to perform more than 600,000 rapid coronavirus determinations by isothermal amplification PCR nationwide in June 2020. It was co-developed with Unsam, the National University of Quilmes, and the PB-L company.