OTC COVID Test Kit Stands Up to CompetitorsOTC COVID Test Kit Stands Up to Competitors

Cold and flu season is here, and consumers have a plethora of at-home testing kits to choose from, including three-in-one options like the SpeedySwab Rapid COVID-19 + FLU A&B Antigen Self-Test that tests for COVID-19, Influenza A, and Influenza B.

With so many testing products crowding retail shelves and vying for consumers’ attention, Gino Ajodani, president of Biolabs International, decided to reduce SpeedySwab’s footprint while at the same time ensure that the carton stood out from other COVID test kits.

“Our previous package was horizontal, and it was taking up too much shelf space,” he says. “So I changed the design to a vertical orientation and introduced a retail display box for the shelf or checkout counter.”

The retail box holds six two-pack kits or 12 single-pack kits. In addition to flipping the carton on its side, Ajodani reduced the carton’s dimensions: A single pack measures 54.2(L) cm x 38.2(W) cm x 45(H) cm, and a two-pack measures 43.5(L) cm x 36.6(W) cm x 45(H) cm. As a result, a two-pack and a single-pack carton placed side by side take up less space than the previous horizontal carton.

Now, retailers can fit more SpeedySwab kits on their shelves and, in some cases, place them farther up at eye level.

A leg up on competitive products.

Related:New Hope for Hot Flashes

In addition to its vertical stance, the new two-pack carton features a picture of the COVID test cassettes. Ajodani explains that he added this graphic so consumers can quickly and easily identify the box as a COVID test kit without having to read the packaging first.

For retailers that want to shelve the kits without using a retail display box, Biolabs is in the process of modifying the new carton design to increase stability on the shelf.

“I didn’t like the way our box was standing up because it had the possibility of falling with a slight touch,” Ajodani says. “This makes it difficult for the store managers to stock the shelves, and when a consumer reaches for one, 10 of them may fall.”

To address this issue, Ajodani had incisions made to the base of the carton during the cutting process. When the boxes are assembled to insert the components, the additional cuts form four small legs that help to support the carton on the shelf.

Perforation converts carton to test tube holder.

While the addition of four incisions improves the carton’s stability, a simple perforated circle added to the front of the carton allows the user to convert it to a holder for the test tube.

“With most COVID test kits, the customer has to insert a Q-Tip in their lower nostril, put that in the tube, and then hold it with one hand for a minute while it cures, which is very inconvenient,” Ajodani notes. “We designed the carton so that the user can push the bottom of the tube down on the perforated circle, and the carton becomes a stand for the test tube.”

Related:MD+DI Readers Throw Support Behind Babson's BetterWay Blood Testing

SpeedySwab has an 18-month shelf life and is currently under FDA 510(k) review to extend the shelf life to 21 months.