SugenTech, Collaborates with Wuhan Humanwell Group in China to Develop Novel Coronavirus Diagnostic Kit

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunseok Yoo] SuzenTech is partnering with Humanwell Healthcare Group, one of China’s top 10 healthcare companies, to develop a ‘rapid diagnostic kit’ for Wuhan pneumonia.

SuzenTech announced on the 29th that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Humanwell Biocell Biotechnology (hereafter Biocell), a diagnostic subsidiary of Humanwell Healthcare Group headquartered in Wuhan, China, to develop a rapid diagnostic kit for Wuhan pneumonia (novel coronavirus).

Humanwell Healthcare Group is one of China’s top 10 comprehensive healthcare and pharmaceutical companies, headquartered in Wuhan. In addition to pharmaceuticals, it sells medical devices, blood products, and traditional medicines, with annual sales reaching 2.6 trillion KRW (15.4 billion yuan).

It is currently listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange with a market capitalization of approximately 4 trillion KRW. The group owns more than 20 subsidiaries related to pharmaceuticals and healthcare and is actively expanding into the global market, recently acquiring a U.S. pharmaceutical company.

Biocell is Humanwell Group’s diagnostic specialist subsidiary, selling various infectious disease diagnostic kits and latent tuberculosis diagnostic kits.

The two companies plan to develop a rapid diagnostic kit that can quickly diagnose infection with the novel coronavirus, which started in Wuhan and is spreading rapidly, by testing antigens or antibodies from throat and pharyngeal specimens on-site. SuzenTech will be responsible for developing antibodies, pretreatment reagents, and kits, while Biocell will handle clinical trials, production, and sales through specimen collection within China.

A SuzenTech official stated, “Wuhan pneumonia is a novel disease, and there is currently no dedicated diagnostic kit, so Chinese health authorities are diagnosing using methods such as genetic analysis. This makes rapid diagnosis and management control of patients difficult, so the development of a diagnostic kit is urgent.”

He added, “During past infectious disease outbreaks like SARS, development was often delayed due to difficulties in securing clinical specimens necessary for diagnostic kit or vaccine development. Since Biocell, based in Wuhan, can quickly secure clinical specimens, we expect to develop a dedicated diagnostic kit for Wuhan pneumonia faster than other companies.”