From November 8th, ABC-Labs will offer analysis of COVID-19 antibody levels on dried blood from self-sampling using the qDBS card developed by Capitainer, this year’s Guldpillret winner.
The sampling method has been proven to both work well in home environments and be scalable during the pandemic. A qDBScard with clear simple to follow instructions is sent to the patient by regular post, the sample is then taken by the patient himself and the card is subsequently returned to the lab for analysis. Test results are delivered within a few days.
Several studies with the new sampling method by, among others, the Public Health Agency of Sweden and Region Västerbotten have already been carried out and a large study of 5000 patients from Sweden's nursing homes has recently been initiated. Capitainer's qDBS technology for self-sampling in home environments works well. Studies have shown that more than 95% of qDBS cards returned to the lab met the quality standard for accurate analysis for clinical diagnosis.
Ahsan Amjad, CEO ABC-Labs, said: "Creating affordable, accessible, and readily available testing has been critical for pandemic management and is a key component of building a solid healthcare infrastructure. Our partnership with Capitainer will make it more convenient for people to sample remotely and reliably check antibody levels using high-precision lab analyses. We aim to build on this by launching other similar products to improve connectivity between patients and healthcare, including for example remote monitoring of chronic diseases, viruses, and the early identification of risk factors.”
Christopher Aulin, CEO of Capitainer, added: "We are extremely pleased that ABC Labs now enables healthcare providers, pharmacies or occupational health care companies to send laboratory antibody tests for COVID-19 to them for analysis. The arrangement with ABC Labs offers both self-sampling and assisted sampling. We believe there is great interest from the general public to get credible information when it comes to their antibody levels, thereby not being left with the only current option - to rely on rapid tests with uncertain precision."
