MARii, Sengenics To Develop World’s First Qualitative, Quantitative Covid-19 Test Kit

KUALA LUMPUR, May 29 (Bernama) -- The Malaysia Automotive, Robotics and IoT Institute (MARii) has partnered with Sengenics Sdn Bhd to develop ‘ImmuSAFE™’, the world’s first qualitative and quantitative COVID-19 test kit for industrial applications. MARii said it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Sengenics that includes the development and commercialisation of products, services and technology related to health management systems, as well as high-throughput diagnostics for communicable diseases in industrial and commercial settings. "An important highlight of the MoU signing will be to support the development of ImmuSAFETM, the world’s first-ever qualitative and quantitative multi-epitope, multi-protein COVID-19 Antigen Test for detecting and quantifying whether an individual has protective levels of antibodies to SARS-CoV2," according to their joint statement, here Friday. It said the results generated on the ImmuSAFE test are fully quantitative, allowing for not just the measurement of absence or presence of antibodies; but also a highly accurate determination of antibody levels, which critical to ensure that the antibody levels present in an individual are protective following infection. This has wide-ranging implications for industries and factories in terms of returning employees back to work. MARii chief executive officer Datuk Madani Sahari said the COVID-19 situation has taught us that a mass outbreak not only halts our daily lives, but also the industries that are vital for the economy. "In the age of digitalisation, it is important that digital technologies and the medical field begin cross-sectoral initiatives to protect the health and safety of all. "The outcomes of this MoU will not only result in a significant breakthrough in our fight against COVID-19, but is an important milestone in the development of new medical products, services that are based on internet of things (IoT)-based technologies and accurate information derived from the unlimited possibilities in big data management”, he said. Madani also explained that Sengenics has already successfully produced functional recombinant antigens from the SARS-CoV2 virus in its laboratories, making local COVID-19 vaccine development possible. "A successful local vaccine development programme would place the country in a better position to combat the pandemic from within its own borders, otherwise fully depending on imported vaccines to cater to the millions of Malaysians that need them once a vaccine becomes available," he added. Meanwhile, Sengenics director Johan Hafiz Iskandar, said: "We are excited to work with the MARii team in supporting their initiatives to reduce the economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on industry and look forward to integrating our diagnostics expertise with cutting-edge, real-time healthcare solutions at industry and factory level." Sengenics is a Functional Proteomics company that leverages its patented KREX technology to discover autoantibody biomarker signatures for prediction of drug response and severe immune-related adverse events (irAEs). KREX can also be used to identify autoantibody biomarkers that may be used to diagnose cancer, autoimmune, neurodegenerative, or infectious diseases with higher sensitivity and specificity than conventional diagnostic tests. -- BERNAMA