Abelino Lab Commercializes COVID-19 Diagnostic Technology Approved by US FDA

Started Local Diagnostic Testing in Partnership with Hayward Fire Department, USA

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Jeongsu] Avellino Lab, a Korean-American bio company based in Silicon Valley, USA, announced on the 1st that it has started COVID-19 diagnostic testing by partnering with the Hayward Fire Department in California, USA, and opening a testing center.

According to Avellino Lab, the company was the first Korean-American company to receive approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its COVID-19 genetic diagnostic technology (AvellinoCoV2) on the 9th of last month. Since the 23rd of last month, it has been conducting COVID-19 diagnostic tests in Hayward, California.

A company official stated, "The approved diagnostic technology identifies COVID-19 infection by increasing accuracy based on the COVID-19 virus genetic information confirmed by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)," adding, "The testing turnaround time has also been significantly reduced, allowing results to be confirmed within 1.5 to 3 hours."

Hayward City provides free COVID-19 testing at one of the fastest speeds in the U.S. based on Avellino Lab's genetic testing technology. Sample collection for testing is conducted through the COVID testing center managed by the Hayward Fire Department. This center operates daily from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and is known to be capable of diagnosing 350 people per day.

Avellino Lab expects the demand for COVID-19 genetic diagnostic technology to expand nationwide in the U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the establishment of emergency operation centers across the country, emphasizing the need to increase testing speed so that 5 million people can be tested within a month.

Lee Jin, Chairman of Avellino Lab, said, "From the early stages of the COVID-19 outbreak, we recognized the necessity of developing diagnostic technology through research institutes in Korea and China," adding, "The RNA-based genetic diagnostic approach will be useful for communities that require accurate and rapid diagnosis."