Spirox & Molsentech Announce COVID-19 Rapid Test Kit

Professional semiconductor solution provider Spirox Corporation (TWSE: 3055) and Molsentech (Molecular Sensoring Technology Co., Ltd.) announce today that they will soon launch COVID-19 biosensor test system. Based on ultra-high sensitivity biomedical detection technology, Molsentech’s COVID-19 rapid test kit, including a biosensor chip and a test device, can run a rapid test with accurate result in 3 minutes, even in early stage infection or asymptomatic infection. These rapid COVID-19 test system, which will be an important breakthrough for Taiwan and global media system in COVID-19 test, will kick off next stage clinical trial in Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital (KSVGH), and expectedly to be verified and launch in the end of 2020.

First MOSFET-Based COVID-19 Rapid Test System Worldwide

COVID-19 has caused over 21 million cases and over 750 thousand deaths worldwide, and the numbers are increasing. Governments and researchers all over the world are doing everything to develop COVID-19 testing and vaccine. Jack Chen, Chairman of Spirox Corporation, comments “There’s no significant development or breakthrough of mass production and application of biochip, despite the considerable effort and resources spent. Taiwan is well known worldwide for the outstanding semiconductor design and manufacturing capability. The launch of COVID-19 Rapid Test System is a success of cross-domain integration of Biomedicine and semiconductor industries. In addition to providing the customized test solution Molsentech needs, the relationships and channels Spirox has in the industry make it possible to connect the supply chain and overcome every obstacle Molsentech confronted while releasing this product to mass production, and make this first MOSFET-based COVID-19 rapid test system together.”

CEO of Molsentech, Dr. Chia-Jung Chu says that different from the optical system Reverse Transcriptase PCR test applied in most COVID-19 rapid tests, Molsentech use Bio-FET and its ultra-high sensitivity to electric charge feature, along with surface modification and probing molecules, to provide the result by reading current signal change. Besides, there’re thousands of test points on every biosensor chip, so micro sample can be tested for over thousands of times simultaneously. By analyzing large current signal data, high accuracy test result can be provided, and the maximum of Molsentech COVID-19 test system can be 100 thousand times of current COVID-19 rapid tests. It will be the best solution for COVID-19 early stage test for it can greatly reduce the time consumed of current PCR test, providing the same accuracy as Nucleic acid tests’, and also easier and safer testing process.

“Molsentech has devoted in technology development of biosensor test and biochip production for over 20 years. The cooperation of Spirox and Molsentech has successfully connect the supply chain of semiconductor industry, including design house, foundry, chip assembly and reagent development, making breakthrough of the sensitivity and manufacturing process, and launch this COVID-19 Rapid Test System, a more accurate test tool for COVID-19,” Dr. Chia-Jung Chu says.

Prof. ChiiDong Chen, Research Fellow in Institute of Physics of Academia Sinica, comments, “The rapid test system Molsentech launches is based on Bio-FET technology which is co-developed by Molsentech and my lab, and verified by numerous molecular tests. The detection mechanism is the variation of electric charge accompanied with biomolecular reaction tested on MOSFET and providing high accuracy real-time test result and as an adjuvant therapy. This system can be adopted in COVID-19 test, and deployed in airports, harbors, or other crowded, high-risk test stations as first line prevention measure.”

Kaohsiung Veterans General Hospital (KSVGH), states that Molsentech has complete Phase 1 detection process setting, probe sequence design and standard sample tests; Phase 2 complex environment test and threshold confirmation, and is in Phase 3 specificity test and simulated sample tests. The test result is as good as expected and KSVGH is more than happy to move forward to next step. Molsentech will provide the test system to KSVGH to kick off blind clinical trial and expected to complete the verification by end of September.

Dr. Chia-Jung Chu says, “Believing in ‘early detection and early treatment,’ we adjust our product in response to the outbreak of COVID-19 earlier this year, based on our ‘fast, precise, safe’ test technology to develop a high accuracy rapid COVID-19 test system to contribute our efforts to the world. With supports from Spirox and industrial partners, and guidance from government, this system may turn the COVID-19 crisis to a turning point of Taiwan advanced medical technology industry development. We’ll not only work with Spirox to promote this system to other countries to realize our responsibility to the world, but keep developing biochip test research and will launch more test system, such as COVID-19 and influenza test combo and Early diagnosis system of cancer or kidney failure, in near future.”