NEW YORK — Duke-National University of Singapore (NUS) Medical School, GenScript Biotech, and Singapore's Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) said on Friday that they have partnered on the development and manufacture of a novel SARS-CoV-2 serology test.
The cPass SARS-CoV-2 Surrogate Virus Neutralization Test is designed to detect circulating neutralizing antibodies against the virus that block the interaction between the receptor binding domain of the viral spike glycoprotein and the ACE2 cell surface receptor.
According to the partners, the test does not require live biological materials or biosafety containment, can be performed within an hour at most clinical or research labs, and can be adapted for high-throughput and fully automated testing.
The test was invented at Duke-NUS and further developed and optimized by Piscataway, New Jersey-based GenScript. An A*STAR-led group helped validate the test and developed protocols for its manufacture. GenScript is leading commercialization efforts for the test, launching it in Singapore and other regions.
"The test results will be of great help to governments in guiding the resumption of work since it is extremely useful for quick and reliable surveillance to determine how widely a population has gained immunity to SARS-CoV-2 virus," GenScript Chief Strategy Officer Zhu Li said in a statement. "Detection of neutralizing antibodies determines who can more safely go back to work or to more social life."