New COVID-19 testing technology awaits FDA approval

TUCSON – PathogenDx, a company based in Tucson, has created a new test. It would detect if someone has COVID-19, the flu or even the common cold.

“We started this COVID project on March 12,” said Milan Patel, CEO of PathogenDx. “At a board meeting, they said go ahead and design the chip. So we designed this test in a matter of five weeks.”

The company is waiting for approval from the Food & Drug Administration to launch the testing. They hope to offer it to labs across the country.

“We hope to scale it over the next three months,” Patel said. “We believe that given the support from the federal government and the FDA that we can get to about 4 million tests a month.”

PathogenDx’s insurance-reimbursed test is conducted by a nose or saliva swab. It provides results in six hours.

The company is also rolling out an environmental test. This one detects if COVID-19 is in the air using air and surface swabs.

Patel said its environmental test has been tried out in office settings in San Francisco. They hope to roll out the devices for schools, gyms, and even hospitals.

For Patel and his team, the new technology is all about helping the world during the coronavirus pandemic.

“When the human spirit is with you, you can achieve anything, you can conquer anything,” Patel said.

For more information about PathogenDx’s testing, click here.

Denelle Confair

 

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