FemtoDx Working to Develop Rapid At-Home COVID-19 Test

FemtoDx is working to develop a rapid at-home test for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19). On Monday, the Beverly Hills, CA-based company announced its plan to manufacture and distribute the tests directly to patients and providers at a low cost.

The diagnostics company said the consumer test was created using systems from an existing platform and it eliminates the need for a dedicated lab.

“This rapid, at-home test will enable more scalable and efficient testing of COVID-19 that is substantially equivalent to the current gold-standard lab tests,” said Dr. Raj Mohanty, CEO and founder, FemtoDx in a release. “Our approach is fundamentally a paradigm shift in that patients can perform the test themselves at home without needing a lab or technician. More importantly, time from sample to result is less than five minutes. Such a robust platform will be critical in the fight against this virus and others in future pandemics.”

FemtoDX’s test follows Abbott Laboratories five-minute COVID-19 test, which was a huge topic of discussion during President Donald Trump’s COVID-19 task force briefing in late March. FemtoDX’s test would be different from Abbott’s approach, because the Abbott Park, Il-based company’s test isn’t for at-home-use.

The announcement of FemtoDx’s at-home-test comes at a time when there is a push to reopen the U.S. economy. However, public health officials note that fast widespread testing is key for safely reopening businesses.

For more of MD+DI's ongoing coverage of resources, regulatory support, and solutions for responding to the COVID-19 pandemic, visit our COVID-19 News Central page.