Avacta generates Affimer reagents for COVID-19 antigen rapid test ahead of schedule

22 April 2020

Shares of Avacta Group (AIM: AVCT), the developer of Affimer biotherapeutics and reagents, were up more that 26% at 69.50 pence by early afternoon, after it announced that, in only four weeks and well ahead of schedule, it has successfully generated multiple Affimer reagents that bind the SARS-COV-2 viral antigen.

The development is part of Avacta’s collaboration with Cytiva (formerly GE Healthcare Life Sciences) to develop an Affimer-based rapid test for the COVID-19 coronavirus infection.

The process of generating new Affimer reagents to detect the SARS-COV-2 viral antigen was started in mid-March, shortly before the company announced its collaboration with Cytiva. Multiple highly specific Affimer binders have now been generated that bind to the spike proteins of the SARS-COV-2 virus and do not cross-react with other very closely related viruses, such as SARS and MERS.

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