BATM subsidiary launches COVID-19 antibody test

Real-time technologies provider BATM has announced that its Adaltis subsidiary has launched ELISA Serological Test Kits that diagnose if a patient has had COVID-19 by detecting antibodies against it present in their blood.

The Adaltis Serological Tests are fully CE certified and the Group has started shipping initial orders. It is now increasing production for larger quantities to fulfil further orders received from these customers.

The ELISA serological test detects the body’s immune response to the infection caused by the virus rather than detecting the virus itself – to help identify those who have been infected and developed antibodies that may protect them from future infection.

Adaltis’ ELISA Serological Tests for COVID-19 are designed to test for IgA and IgM as well as IgG antibodies. Adaltis’ tests can be conducted both on standard ELISA machines that are already in use in laboratories and hospitals, and on Adaltis’ Personal LAB and NEXgen machines, which are pre-calibrated for these tests.

Adaltis’ ELISA Serological Tests for COVID-19 are complementary to the Group’s two previously-announced COVID-19 diagnostics kits, which are both antigen tests (RT-PCR) designed to detect the presence of the virus rather than the immune response to it. The two kits include Adaltis’ diagnostic tests that are being shipped for medical facility use and the kits that the Group is developing in partnership with Novamed for home use.

Dr Zvi Marom, chief executive officer of BATM, said: "Adaltis, which invented the magnetic bead separating method – a cornerstone in many of today’s in-vitro diagnosis tests – has a great track record of delivering rapid, precise and reliable results to help healthcare professionals make informed decisions. Since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak, we have been consistently launching more and more tools as soon as they were rigorously validated and certified by relevant regulatory authorities. First, we produced antigen tests to detect who has COVID-19 and now today we have officially launched tests that detect who has had the COVID-19 virus.”