NEW YORK – KSL Pulse Scientific said Tuesday it will distribute Lucira Health's disposable molecular test for COVID-19 and influenzas A and B for over-the-counter use in Canada.
KSL, which has offices in the US and Canada, said Health Canada approved at-home use of the palm-sized RT-LAMP-based test, which uses a shallow nasal swab and provides results within 30 minutes. It said the test from Emeryville, California-based Lucira provides PCR-quality sensitivity and specificity.
Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed.
The deal follows a week after Lucira Health said it had secured US Food and Drug Administration Emergency Use Authorization for the Lucira COVID-19 & Flu Test for point-of-care use. The EUA allows use of the test by authorized laboratories using nasal swabs collected by healthcare providers. The firm said at the time the combination test is the first in a pipeline of multiple assay tests using Lucira's multiplex instrument.
KSL President and CEO Kevin Lawson said in a statement Lucira's test could help medical staff and patients determine the best course of action if North America experiences rises in COVID-19 and influenza in the coming flu season.