Wells Bio, a subsidiary of Access Bio, said that it plans to develop a new coronavirus molecular diagnosis and immunodiagnostic technology jointly with Korea Research Institute of Chemical Technology.

The company will team up with the institute’s Center for Convergent Research of Emerging Virus Infection, a research organization established to develop technologies for diagnosing, preventing, treating, and preventing new and variant viruses that are likely to enter the country.

With the rising fear of a possible spread of the new coronavirus, healthcare workers have raised the need to develop a high sensitivity diagnostic kit.

Under the accord, the two partners plan to develop molecular diagnostic technology that can detect specific genes in the new coronavirus, and commercialize an immunodiagnostic technology for detecting new coronavirus antigen proteins.

“I think it is significant that we will be conducting joint research with the CEVI to develop a new coronavirus diagnostic technology,” Wells Bio CEO Lee Hyung-geun said. “The company has begun to develop new coronavirus diagnostic products based on our Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) coronavirus molecular diagnostic technology, and is seeking to obtain approval to launch the product early.”

CEVI Director Kim Bum-tae also said, “Through this joint research, a government-funded research institute and a private company will work together to secure new coronavirus diagnosis technology early and contribute to national health and safety.”

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