Wearable nasal and respiratory technology company Rhinomed (ASX:RNO) has finalised an exclusive supply agreement with SureScreen Australia to supply Rhinoswabs and Rhinoswab Juniors for inclusion in SureScreen’s range of lateral flow point of care test kits in the Australian, New Zealand, Singapore and South Pacific markets.
The company said the first product to market will be the TGA-registered SureScreen SARS-CoV-2 Antigen Rapid test Cassette Gold for children. This features the novel Rhinoswab Junior. It will be the first SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen test kit designed specifically for children aged 4-12 on the Australian market.
SureScreen Australia is the Australian-based affiliate of the UK-based SureScreen Diagnostics that develops and manufactures point-of-care diagnostics and lateral flow rapid antigen test kits.
Rhinomed said the Rhinoswab standardises the sample collection process making it more predictable, reliable and consistent. This is important to improving rapid antigen test outcomes.
The supply agreement provides for a minimum commitment of 10 million Rhinomed swabs over a 24-month period with an option to renew. The agreement is exclusive to the Australian, New Zealand, Singapore and South Pacific region. Pricing remains commercial in confidence.
SureScreen has indicated it will commence ordering swabs for inclusion in test kits this month.
Rhinomed CEO Michael Johnson said, “We are delighted to be working with SureScreen Australia. SureScreen is one of the world’s leading developers and manufacturers of diagnostic test kits. The opportunity to include the Rhinoswab and Rhinoswab Junior in their extensive range of upper respiratory diseases tests is a major milestone for the company. Finalising this deal means Australian families will have access to one of the world’s first test kits designed specifically for children. We know that testing children can be traumatic and difficult. This new test kit changes the paradigm and getting it into every Australian home is our priority. This is the second major deal of its type and follows the previously announced (7 April 2022) supply agreement with BTNX Inc of Canada that includes the supply of 22.5 million swabs over the next 24 months.”
SureScreen Australia managing director Troy Stewart added, “Having a very quick, effective and easy to use diagnostic for young children at home or the patient’s bedside, is significant in helping Australians reach an early diagnosis. The SureScreen AN Gold technology 10 minute CoVID-19 Rapid Antigen test (ARTG 387662), complete with a Rhinomed Junior Swab provides very high accuracy 96.1% Sensitivity and a 99.0% Specificity. The experience for families will not only now be far easier and comfortable but also deliver a result in 10 minutes. We are very excited to have signed off on the exclusive agreement with Rhinomed and have already commenced looking for new opportunities within our broad range of bespoke diagnostics for infectious disease.”
