The cassette with a test strip inside. A drop of blood, thinner and you know whether or not you had Covid-19 - T. Gagnepain / 20 Minutes

  • An Alsatian company, Biosynex, already offers Covid-19 rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs). With them, we know in ten minutes whether or not we had the coronavirus. Biosynex has sold “around 500,000” of them in the past two months. Exclusively for hospitals and biologists.
  • The next steps ? Let this test be considered a TROD, a rapid diagnostic orientation test. Pharmacists, doctors, nurses could then use it.
  • Then, still if authorized by law, it could become a self-test. So the general public could buy it in pharmacies and test themselves.

A small prick at the tip of the finger, a drop of blood, and a little thinner. The Covid-19 Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) can begin. A few moments later, a band appears at the "C" level. "It means it works, we'll find out in less than ten minutes if you've ever been infected." If so, lines will form next to the inscriptions IgM and / or IgG, the two antibodies produced by your body in reaction to the coronavirus, ”explains Oren Bitton, the commercial director of Biosynex.

The company, located in the southern suburbs of Strasbourg, in Illkirch-Graffenstaden, is one of the leaders in the health test market. Pregnancy, HIV, angina, urinary tract infection… and therefore now coronavirus. "We started in mid-February, with our subcontractor in China because he was ahead in research," rewinds Oren Bitton. “In mid-March, the test was available and we notably had it evaluated by the CHU in Strasbourg. From that moment, we had orders from all over the world, as well for hospitals and laboratories in France as for Europe, Africa, Latin America etc. "

Biosynex's sales manager, Orren Bitton, with lancing devices that are used in the test. - T. Gagnepain / 20 Minutes

In total, Biosynex estimates to have sold "approximately 500,000" for two months. And demand does not seem to be going down. The Alsatian company has already recruited around 40 employees at its site in the Bas-Rhin region and is gradually increasing its production. “Currently, we are able to get out 2 million a month with our partners in China and Lyon. We are targeting 4 million by September, ”says Larry Abensur, CEO.

Biosynex turnover tripled?

The action of its box has already quadrupled (from around 3 to 12 euros) with the health crisis and turnover, of 35 million euros in 2019, could exceed 100 million euros this year. Especially if their product can be bought tomorrow in pharmacies by the general public.

Larry Abensur, CEO of Biosynex. - T. Gagnepain / 20 Minutes

"The next step is for a legislative text to validate its use as a TROD, a rapid diagnostic orientation test," says the commercial director of Biosynex. “Clearly, this would give legal authorization to other health professionals than biologists to use it. Pharmacists, doctors and nurses could then screen anyone and anywhere. And then, we hope it will go into self-test. "

The Alsatian company has already made a request to this effect. "We have submitted the file and we hope to be able to market them this summer," admits Oren Bitton, who estimates that the test could then be sold "around twenty euros in pharmacies". The price of knowing, without anyone's help, whether or not you have been infected with the coronavirus.

Left, a negative test at Covid-19. Right, a positive test. In this case, the person tested has igM and igG antibodies in their blood. - T. Gagnepain / 20 Minutes

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  • Strasbourg
  • Health
  • Deconfinement
  • Covid 19
  • Coronavirus