Celltrion Covid test kits begin sales in the U.S.

Korean biopharmaceutical firm Celltrion said Wednesday that its two kinds of diagnostic kits for the novel coronavirus began sales in the United States.

A point-of-care testing (POCT) kit for antigens, dubbed "Sampinute," co-developed by local health care firm BBB, was commercialized following emergency approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, Celltrion said.

The POCT kit is a portable and highly sensitive device that reduces the test time to 10 minutes, according to Celltrion. The test time is considered the quickest among kits available on the market.

Celltrion said a rapid antibody diagnostic test (RDT) kit for the coronavirus, named "DiaTrust," also came out in the market. The test is co-developed by Korean in-vitro diagnostic company Humasis.

The new antibody detection test is most suitable for identifying acute or early infection of the Covid-19 virus, Celltrion said.

Yonhap