NEW YORK – Nanomix said Wednesday it has been awarded up to about $570,000 in funding from the US Department of Health and Human Services' Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) to support development of COVID-19 point-of-care assays that will run on the Nanomix eLab analyzer.
The assays detect either SARS-CoV-2 antigens or antibodies to SARS-CoV-2 to identify active infections and previous exposure, the Emeryville, California-based firm said.
It is developing the tests to distinguish SARS-CoV-2 from other coronavirus infections and a common flu strain, to help diagnose patients with non-specific respiratory symptoms in less than 15 minutes.
Nanomix expects to complete development in early June and then file for US Food and Drug Administration Emergency Use Authorization.
The Nanomix eLab analyzer is a handheld system that uses a microfluidic-based, single-use consumable with an electrochemical sensor for the automated detection of multiple analytes. It can be used in hospitals, nursing homes, assisted-living facilities, urgent-care centers, and emergency medical care centers, the company said.
Nanomix noted it conducted a similar project to this one during the Ebola crisis by developing a test in eight weeks that simultaneously identified and differentiated between Ebola, dengue, and Lassa fever.