Ildong Pharmaceutical Supplies Rapigen COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test Kits

CEO Jaegu Park of Rapigen and CEO Woongseop Yoon of Ildong Pharmaceutical (from left in the photo) are posing for a commemorative photo after signing a supply contract for the professional rapid antigen test kit 'BioCredit COVID-19 Ag'. (Photo by Ildong Pharmaceutical)

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] Ildong Pharmaceutical will be responsible for supplying Rapigen's COVID-19 professional rapid antigen test kit, 'BioCredit COVID-19 Ag.'

On the 7th, Ildong Pharmaceutical announced that it had signed a supply contract with Rapigen for BioCredit COVID-19 Ag. Accordingly, Ildong Pharmaceutical will handle the distribution of this product to hospitals and clinics. Additional discussions will also be held regarding the distribution of over-the-counter (OTC) self-test kits available at pharmacies.

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BioCredit COVID-19 Ag is a professional COVID-19 antigen test kit developed by Rapigen. It is an in vitro diagnostic medical device that helps diagnose COVID-19 infection by detecting the SARS-CoV-2 antigen in nasopharyngeal swab specimens of the test subject using an immunochromatography method.

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Rapigen explained that the test kit applies its proprietary technology, 'Black Gold Nanoparticles,' enabling stable results within 15 to 30 minutes without the need for separate laboratories or equipment. Additionally, by applying a dual-color system, the test line appears black during result interpretation, enhancing user readability. Rapigen also stated that through multiple clinical trials, the kit has achieved sensitivity above 90% and specificity above 99% in terms of accuracy.

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An Ildong Pharmaceutical official said, “As COVID-19 prevention guidelines have recently changed, symptomatic individuals are now being diagnosed at respiratory specialty hospitals, causing a surge in demand for professional rapid antigen test kits. We will focus our capabilities on stable supply to support quick and accurate testing.”