Skip to main content
Premium Trial:

Request an Annual Quote

Novacyt Inks Supply Contract for Coronavirus Test With UK Health Agency

NEW YORK – Novacyt said Monday it has inked a supply contract with the UK Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) for a COVID-19 PCR test developed by its Primerdesign molecular diagnostics division in the United Kingdom. 

Under the terms of the agreement, Novacyt will supply its test to the DHSC for an initial term of six months, starting May 4. Vélizy-Villacoublay, France-based Novacyt has initially committed to supply 288,000 tests per week to the DHSC for use in the NHS and has an option to expand the agreement. 

Financial and other terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

The partnership with the DHSC reinforces Novacyt's existing support of the UK government's five-pillar plan to increase testing for COVID-19, the firm said. Novacyt had announced in April that it is collaborating with AstraZeneca, GlaxoSmithKline, and the University of Cambridge to increase SARS-CoV-2 testing in the UK.

The Scan

Positive Framing of Genetic Studies Can Spark Mistrust Among Underrepresented Groups

Researchers in Human Genetics and Genomics Advances report that how researchers describe genomic studies may alienate potential participants.

Small Study of Gene Editing to Treat Sickle Cell Disease

In a Novartis-sponsored study in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that a CRISPR-Cas9-based treatment targeting promoters of genes encoding fetal hemoglobin could reduce disease symptoms.

Gut Microbiome Changes Appear in Infants Before They Develop Eczema, Study Finds

Researchers report in mSystems that infants experienced an enrichment in Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Finegoldia and a depletion of Bacteroides before developing eczema.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment Specificity Enhanced With Stem Cell Editing

A study in Nature suggests epitope editing in donor stem cells prior to bone marrow transplants can stave off toxicity when targeting acute myeloid leukemia with immunotherapy.