Avacta set to launch new lab test for Covid

The Wetherby-based firm said it will make a high performance research test available to support global research efforts to combat the coronavirus.

Analysts at FinnCap said that whilst this was unexpected, the fact that the test uses the same reagents as Avacta’s rapid diagnostic test is very encouraging with respect to the outcome of its rapid SARS-CoV-2 antigen test designed for mass screening.

Avacta, in partnership with therapeutic giant Cytiva, is developing a rapid test strip for patient saliva that aims to provide a result in a few minutes, indicating whether the patient is currently infected with the coronavirus.

Analyst Mark Brewer at FinnCap said: “Avacta expects to launch in the next few weeks a research use only ELISA laboratory test for the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein as an Affimer reagent kit.

“We leave forecasts unchanged for the time being and our target price under review. However, it is easy to generate a sum-of-the-parts valuation substantially higher than the current market cap.”

Affimers are Avacta’s high-tech alternative to antibodies.

Avacta said that enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) are very common research tools used to detect and quantify a target of interest in a wide range of samples.

Using the same Affimer reagents that are incorporated into its rapid coronavirus saliva test being developed with Cytiva, Avacta has developed in-house a high performance ELISA laboratory test to detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus.

Avacta will make the ELISA test available as a kit so that researchers globally can use it in their own laboratories to support research into the coronavirus.

Dr Alastair Smith, Avacta’s chief executive, said: “I am delighted with the outstanding performance of the Affimer-based ELISA test developed in-house by Avacta and that we will shortly make this powerful laboratory research tool available to support global research efforts to study the virus and develop ways to combat the pandemic.

“Avacta remains focused on the much larger opportunity of the saliva-based coronavirus antigen rapid test that we are developing with Cytiva and which is now in the process of technology transfer to our manufacturing partners.

“The excellent analytical performance of the ELISA test is very encouraging with regards to the anticipated clinical performance of the rapid test and I look forward to starting the clinical validation with the first pilot batch of rapid tests as soon as possible.”

The Affimer-based ELISA test is capable of detecting the coronavirus spike protein in laboratory samples in very low concentrations.

An evaluation of the ELISA carried out with The Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine using SARS-CoV-2 virus samples shows that it can detect as little as a few thousand virus infectious units per millilitre of sample.

This is typical of the levels found in infectious Covid-19 patients’ saliva whether they are symptomatic or not. Highly infectious Covid-19 patients can have many thousands or millions of times more spike protein in their saliva than this.

The Affimer-based ELISA test is highly specific to the SARS-CoV-2 virus with no cross-reactivity against other closely related coronavirus spike proteins.

Avacta plans to supply the SARS-CoV-2 spike protein ELISA reagent kit directly and is also in active discussions with potential partners and distributors globally.