Celltrion "COVID-19 diagnostic kit delivering results in 20 minutes to be launched within 3 months"

Celltrion Group Chairman Seo Jung-jin is holding a press conference related to COVID-19 through a YouTube broadcast on the 12th.

[Asia Economy Reporter Choi Dae-yeol] Seo Jung-jin, Chairman of Celltrion Group, announced that he will launch a diagnostic kit capable of determining COVID-19 infection within 10 to 20 minutes within three months.

At a YouTube briefing on the day, Chairman Seo said, "We plan to select antibodies for the novel coronavirus within this month and produce a prototype by next month," adding, "We aim to complete clinical evaluations in May and, starting in June, go through the approval process to create a diagnostic kit that allows individuals to test themselves without professional medical personnel."

Currently, the real-time polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) test method is used to determine COVID-19 infection. Although the test accuracy is high, it takes about six hours to get results after sample collection. According to the company, the rapid diagnostic kit currently under development offers faster testing but has somewhat lower accuracy. Celltrion aims to conduct rapid testing while improving accuracy. The company explains that infection status can be determined within up to 20 minutes.

The company stated, "After development, we will prioritize distribution not only domestically but also to countries in Europe, the United States, and the Middle East where rapid diagnostic systems are not yet established. We will help these countries build systems to quickly identify and isolate confirmed cases within their borders, thereby contributing to slowing the global spread of COVID-19."