NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has announced it is working in a collaborative development to establish an accurate and reliable antibody test in the fight against COVID-19.
Through the use of a finger prick blood sample, the test will determine if a person has acquired antibodies to the COVID-19 virus. This presence of antibodies is widely used in clinical practice to indicate exposure to a virus and a degree of immunity.
Using a novel and highly sensitive lateral flow (pregnancy-test-like) design, the diagnostic will use capillary blood samples, which can be extracted by a lancet from a fingertip in any point of care location.
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It will take around 20 minutes to complete, providing a reliable and accurate result.
Dr John Goodfellow, Consultant Neuroimmunologist and Clinical Director of the Neuroimmunology Laboratory at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, Glasgow said: “There are two contexts in which testing is required - diagnosis of active infection, and diagnosis of likely immunity to infection.
"We are specifically looking at immunity to infection and our unique lateral flow design has several innovative features that will produce a more accurate test than traditional designs, and can be rapidly adapted to viral mutations.
"Our approach also, reduces the development time and manufacturing cost of the product.”
The project is being developed through a new company, Coronex Limited, that brings together the collaboration of NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, Scottish Health Innovations Ltd, UK based biotechnology industry partners and Glasgow-based investment partner Axon Healthcare.
The test will be developed and manufactured in the UK, ensuring secure, cost effective supply to the NHS.
It addresses the urgent need for a diagnostic which demonstrates high sensitivity and accuracy, and at speed, whether a person has acquired immunity to the COVID-19 virus.
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