NextGen announce Ground-breaking Clinical Trial: Rapid breath test for Covid-19 detection to evaluate the efficacy of the vaccines including the Pfizer-BioNTech's vaccine

TEL-AVIV, Israel, Jan. 4, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- NextGen Biomed Ltd. (TASE: NXGN), which is in the process of merging with Scent Medical Technologies Ltd., reports that Scentech-Medical received approval from the Shamir Medical Center (Asaf Harofe) Review Board (Helsinki committee) for a new clinical trial. Scentech-Medical has initiated this trial, which to the best of the company's knowledge is the first of its kind in the world, to demonstrate the company's ability to monitor the antibody levels and type of antibodies developed by the population of subjects getting vaccinated for the coronavirus.

As part of the research, Scentech-Medical will test subjects getting vaccinated to map biomarkers specifically related to antibodies of type IgM and IgG. The test to monitor antibody levels and type (which is being developed concurrently with the rapid breath test for coronavirus detection) will be able to provide a quick indication as to the efficacy of all vaccines available on the market, including the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. Moreover, such a test has the potential to indicate the immune system's response to various types of vaccines.

In light of the knowledge gained so far on the coronavirus, which has been active all year, there is a clear need for a diagnostic tool that can provide information regarding the immunity levels and efficacy durations of those immunized. Monitoring antibody levels and type of antibodies is of utmost importance due to the fact that there are multiple coronavirus vaccines available on the market and even more expected to come to market in the near future.

At the same time, Scentech-Medical reported yesterday that it continues its ongoing clinical trial for the detection of coronavirus positive subjects at the Shamir Medical Center (Asaf Harofe). As part of the trial, the company is verifying the biomarkers that were mapped after its early clinical trials conducted at the Meir Medical Center, in Kfar Saba.

Scentech believes that its breath test technology can detect both symptomatic coronavirus active carriers as well as asymptomatic carriers. The VOX system developed by the company was able to detect differences among various test groups: positive subjects, negative subjects, and negative subjects with antibodies for the coronavirus.

Scentech-Medical reported that 784 participants were tested using the company's VOX system, alongside PCR and serological tests. From that total, 41 tested positive in PCR, and 742 tested negative for coronavirus, out of which 68 showed the presence of antibodies based on serological tests.

The company is reporting that by using the test it developed for the analysis and quantification of volatile compounds in breath, it can detect coronavirus patients, active symptomatic, and asymptomatic carriers. It may even give an indication of the body's immune response as reflected by the type and level of antibodies expressed by the body.

Scentech-Medical is also working on completing its global analysis system which combines advanced artificial intelligence and unique algorithms developed by the company. This system is aimed for the rapid and automated analysis of data collected by the company's devices to monitor disease spread, detect new mutations of the coronavirus, and identify new disease outbreaks in real-time on both a local and global level. The development of the global analysis system is expected to enter alpha testing within a month.

About Scentech-Medical

Scentech-Medical focuses on the development of technologies for the early and rapid detection of diseases in real-time, through the analysis of volatile compounds founds in the breath, using non-invasive, effective, and low-cost tests. The technology developed by the company detects the presence of unique metabolic processes, which are associated with pathogens or the body's response to pathogens. Every pathogen has a unique genetic expression that creates a metabolic fingerprint which can be detected by a rapid smell test (RST). Such a test can detect various diseases, including cancer and advanced infections, even if the subjects are asymptomatic.

Please visit www.scentech-medical.com

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Business Communication Press Target, Meron Aronovitch

SOURCE NextGen Biomed Ltd.; Scent Medical Technologies Ltd.