Mesa Biotech Developing Molecular Point-of-Care (PCR) Diagnostic Test for Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

SAN DIEGO, March 4, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- Mesa Biotech Inc., a privately-held, molecular diagnostic company that has developed an affordable, sample-to-answer molecular testing platform designed for point-of-care (POC) infectious disease diagnosis, today announced the addition of the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) to its active influenza clinical trial in China.  The coronavirus test development and clinical trial is in collaboration with Dr. Wang Guangfa, head of the Department of Pulmonary Medicine at Peking University First Hospital in Beijing. The clinical trial results will be submitted under an 'emergency use' authorization in both China and the United States.

"With a proven platform and a China clinical trial already underway for influenza, we are uniquely positioned to rapidly bring accurate and easily deployable coronavirus testing closer to the patient and away from the central lab," said Hong Cai, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, Mesa Biotech, Inc. "Our technology development started at Los Alamos National Lab supported by NIH grants from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) and the Western Regional Centers for Excellence in Biodefense and Emerging Infectious Disease program. Since the beginning we have focused on technology suited for emergency defense and rapid deployment for SARS, Ebola and other emerging infectious diseases. Mesa's platform was specifically designed for use outside the lab to enable rapid responses to global pandemics, such as COVID-19."

"Since coronavirus symptoms are very similar to the flu, the Accula Flu A/Flu B test can aid physicians to 'rule in or rule out' the flu," added Cai. "This combined knowledge is designed to provide health care professionals rapid, accurate results to screen, isolate, treat or dismiss potential carriers of the virus."

Currently, regional hospitals, cruise ships, airports, hotels and other locations are being overwhelmed and the requirement to send samples to a reference laboratory for testing, which takes two or more days, is not meeting timely demand. If successful, Mesa's coronavirus test may be the first molecular POC test to enable care providers to obtain laboratory-quality results in approximately 30 minutes, facilitating more immediate response to the spread of the coronavirus.

About Mesa Biotech Inc. 
Mesa Biotech designs, develops, manufactures and commercializes next generation molecular diagnostic tests, bringing the superior diagnostic performance of nucleic acid PCR amplification to the point-of-care (POC). Mesa Biotech's Accula^™ Flu A/Flu B and RSV tests have obtained CE Mark in the EU and 510(k) clearance and Clinical Laboratory Improvements Amendments (CLIA) waiver from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Both products are distributed in the United States by Sekisui Diagnostics under the Silaris^™ brand. Mesa Biotech has also secured a number of strategic agreements for distribution in Europe and Asia.  For more information visit http://www.mesabiotech.com. 

SOURCE Mesa Biotech Inc.

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