MFDS Stabilizes Supply of Self-Test Kits... "Up to 7.5 Million Units Produced Daily"

SD Biosensor, Humasis, and Rapigen Sign Business Agreement

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki Ha-young] The Ministry of Food and Drug Safety announced on the 27th that it has signed a business agreement with three domestic manufacturers of COVID-19 self-test kits to ensure the stable supply of self-test kits.

This comes as the COVID-19 testing and treatment system is set to transition to an Omicron response system starting from the 29th of this month, which is expected to increase the demand for self-test kits. The main contents of the business agreement include ▲expanding production in preparation for the surge in demand for COVID-19 self-test kits ▲cooperation for prioritizing domestic supply ▲sharing information related to production and shipment volumes ▲collaboration to stabilize prices.

Until now, anyone who wanted to get tested for COVID-19 could receive a standard test using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing. However, starting from the 29th, health authorities will limit PCR testing to high-risk groups such as epidemiologically linked individuals, those with a doctor's note, and people aged 60 and over. Others visiting screening clinics will be tested using self-test kits, and if a positive suspected reaction occurs, they will then receive a PCR test.

SD Biosensor, Humasis, and Rapigen, which signed the agreement with the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, plan to continuously increase the production of self-test kits, and the government intends to prioritize the expanded production for screening clinics and use them for free testing.

According to the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, the current maximum daily production capacity of self-test kits, including export volumes, is about 7.5 million units. This is significantly higher than the daily number of PCR tests conducted nationwide by health authorities, which is in the hundreds of thousands.

Kim Jin-seok, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, said, "We have expanded and reorganized the diagnostic reagent team of the Ministry's COVID-19 response headquarters to actively respond to stabilizing the supply of diagnostic reagents, including self-test kits," adding, "We will work closely with manufacturers and health authorities to ensure that sufficient quantities are supplied smoothly."