NEW YORK (360Dx) – Chembio Diagnostics said today that UNICEF has awarded a contract for the supply of its point-of-care DPP Zika System, which includes the DPP Zika IgM/IgG Assay and DPP Micro Reader and provides quantitative results in 15 minutes from 10μl of fingertip blood.
The UNICEF contract, or long-term arrangement, includes a purchase commitment of $1.5 million and "possible additional purchases" of up to $3.4 million for a total contract amount of up to $4.9 million, Chembio said.
Under terms of the agreement — valid through Dec. 31, 2019 — purchases will begin after Chembio has received a World Health Organization Emergency Use Assessment and Listing, completed a clinical and analytical performance evaluation, and succeeded in a quality management system inspection.
Chembio CEO John Sperzel said in a statement that the firm would work with UNICEF, USAID, WHO, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO), and other supporting organizations to begin supplying its Zika system under the agreement. "Given the limitations of laboratory-based Zika tests, we believe our point-of-care DPP Zika Assay and DPP Micro Reader will become essential tools in the battle against the Zika virus,” he said.
In February, UNICEF had launched a request for proposal (RFP) for the supply of Zika virus diagnostics for testing at the point-of-care through 2019. UNICEF'S RFP is supported by a $10 million Advance Purchase Commitment (APC) from USAID, which aims to reduce demand uncertainty risks for manufacturers who invest in the research and development of new products. UNICEF is collaborating with partners, including WHO and PAHO, to make POC diagnostics commercially available for the Zika virus.