Launch of Covid-19 Antibody Testing

RNS Number : 8926O

Open Orphan PLC

04 June 2020

 

4 June 2020

Open Orphan plc

("Open Orphan" or the "Company")

Launch of Covid-19 Antibody Testing

Open Orphan plc (ORPH), a rapidly growing specialist CRO pharmaceutical services company which is the world leader in the testing of vaccines and antivirals using human challenge study models, announces the launch of hVIVO COVID Clear Test, the Company's antibody testing service, following the successful completion of installation, testing and training.

The antibody tests, which utilise the Quotient MosaiQ™ system and MosaiQ COVID-19 Antibody Microarray, offer best in class COVID-19 antibody testing performance and will require a full blood draw. hVIVO COVID Clear Test will be offered to large employer groups and channel partners including GP networks, nursing services, health clinics and private hospitals. Samples will be tested in the Company's London laboratory with results returned within 48 hours.

The Company is hosting a press event at its clinic in East London at 11am today details of which can be found at: https://hvivo.com/news-media/companynews/.

Cathal Friel, Executive Chairman of Open Orphan, said:

"hVIVO is a world class company with best in class scientists and facilities. We are very excited to be offering this service and I am confident our work will help large companies and clinics in the UK test their staff and patients to ensure the safety of all employees. I look forward to updating everyone on our progress in due course."

Franz Walt, Chief Executive Officer, Quotient, said:

"Antibody testing is crucial for guidance on immunity, development of vaccinations and potential revaccinations, as well as helping to answer outstanding epidemiological questions about the spread of the virus. We are incredibly proud to be collaborating with hVIVO and Open Orphan in this project and can assure them that we will provide top of the line services alongside our excellent products."

For further information please contact

Open Orphan plc	[phone]
Cathal Friel, Executive Chairman
Arden Partners plc (Nominated Adviser and Joint Broker)	[phone]
John Llewellyn-Lloyd / Benjamin Cryer / Dan Gee-Summons
finnCap plc (Joint Broker)	[phone]
Geoff Nash / James Thompson/ Richard Chambers
Davy (Euronext Growth Adviser and Joint Broker)	[phone]
Anthony Farrell
Camarco (Financial PR)	[phone]
Tom Huddart / Hugo Liddy

Notes to Editors - Open Orphan:

Open Orphan is a rapidly growing niche CRO pharmaceutical services company which is a world leader in the testing of vaccines and antivirals through the use of human challenge clinical trials. Conducted from Europe's only 24-bedroom quarantine clinic with onsite virology providing individually isolated rooms and connected to our specialist laboratory facility. Which offers highly specialised virology and immunology laboratory services to support pre-clinical and clinical respiratory drug, antiviral, and vaccine discovery and development.  Reliable laboratory analysis underpinned by scientific expertise is essential when processing and analysing clinical samples. Robust quality processes support our team of scientists in the delivery of submission ready data.

The Company has a leading portfolio of 8 viral challenge study models which are: 2 FLU, 2 RSV, 1 HRV, 1 Asthma, 1 cough and 1 COPD viral challenge models. As announced in early March, Open Orphan is rapidly advancing a number of Coronavirus challenge study models and expects to be helping many COVID-19 vaccine development companies to test their vaccines. No other company in the world has such a portfolio, with only two competitors globally having 1 challenge study model each.

Open Orphan comprises of two commercial specialist CRO services businesses (hVIVO and Venn) and is developing an early stage orphan drug genomics data platform business. This platform captures valuable genetic data from patient populations with specific diseases with designated orphan drug status and incorporating AI tools. In June 2019, Open Orphan acquired AIM-listed Venn Life Sciences Holdings plc in a reverse take-over and in January 2020 it completed the merger with hVIVO plc. Venn, as an integrated drug development consultancy, offers CMC (chemistry, manufacturing and controls), preclinical, Phase I & II clinical trials design and execution. The merger with hVIVO created a European full pharma services company broadening the Company's customer base and with complementary specialist CRO services, widened the range of the Company's service offerings.

Notes to Editors -   Quotient Limited:

Building on 30 years of experience in transfusion diagnostics, Quotient is a commercial-stage diagnostics company committed to delivering solutions that reshape the way diagnostics is practiced. MosaiQ, Quotient's proprietary multiplex microarray technology, offers the world's first fully automated, consolidated testing platform, allowing for multiple tests across different modalities. MosaiQ is designed to be a game-changing solution, which Quotient believes will increase efficiencies, improve clinical practice, deliver significant workflow improvements, and operational cost savings to laboratories around the world. Building on the experience from transfusion diagnostics, Quotient developed a serological test in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic. The MosaiQ COVID-19 Antibody Microarray is CE marked and available for distribution in Europe including Switzerland, and the UK. Quotient's operations are based in Eysins, Switzerland, Edinburgh, Scotland and Newtown, Pennsylvania. The Quotient logo, Quotient MosaiQ and MosaiQ are trademarks or registered trademarks of Quotient Limited or its subsidiaries in various jurisdictions.

 

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