Seegene Develops Diagnostic Drug Enabling COVID-19 Testing in Just 30 Minutes

A Seegene researcher is analyzing and testing for the novel coronavirus infection (COVID-19) at the Seegene Medical Foundation Molecular Diagnostic Center in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

[Asia Economy Reporter Chunhee Lee] Seegene has developed a diagnostic reagent that can determine COVID-19 infection status in just 30 minutes.

Seegene recently announced on the 24th that it received the European in vitro diagnostic reagent certification (CE-IVD) for the 'Allplex™ SARS-CoV-2 fast MDx Assay' and plans to launch the product soon after completing necessary procedures such as registering it as an export medical device.

This product has the shortest testing time among Seegene's COVID-19 diagnostic reagents. This has significantly increased testing capacity, and by leveraging Seegene's technology, accuracy has also been ensured. With the advantages of speed, high volume, and accuracy, it is expected that supply can be tailored to on-site testing needs at facilities requiring regular testing such as airports, schools, and workplaces, as "With COVID" policies are implemented beyond specialized testing institutions.

Seegene explained that using the new product, even when a large volume of tests is conducted simultaneously, results can be communicated to the test subjects within one hour at the latest. Additionally, by applying Seegene's automated testing equipment ‘AIOS,’ all testing processes?from nucleic acid extraction to gene amplification and result analysis?are handled in a one-stop manner without requiring individual expert intervention, making on-site testing more convenient.

Seegene also plans to set a competitive price compared to rapid antigen tests so that test subjects can receive necessary tests anytime without financial burden.

Lee Ho, Seegene’s Global Business Head, said, “This new product, which drastically reduces testing time while maintaining accuracy comparable to conventional RT-PCR, will serve as a catalyst for shifting the framework of quarantine to on-site testing.” He added, “We will target markets primarily where large-scale on-site testing is needed at a reasonable price, creating an environment where anyone can easily and quickly get tested in daily life.”