Becton Dickinson (NYSE:BDX) announced today that it is collaborating with Scanwell Health to create an at-home rapid COVID-19 test.
Scanwell Health, a developer of smartphone-enabled at-home medical tests, will offer its mobile app to pair with a BD antigen test for SARS-CoV-2, the virus causing COVID-19, according to a news release.
As part of the collaboration, Franklin Lakes, N.J.-based BD intends to produce a lateral flow antigen test to pair with the Scanwell app, which will give step-by-step instructions for collecting and transferring a nasal swab sample while the device camera will analyze and interpret results.
Once collected, the test result will be displayed on the screen. The companies are planning to develop functionality to assist in automated reporting to public health agencies, too, as they seek to offer an efficient and scalable rapid antigen home testing solution.
“Testing at home before going out into the public is a critical safeguard to help stop the spread of COVID-19,” BD president of life sciences Dave Hickey said in the release. “BD and Scanwell Health are bringing the best of our innovations together to develop a reliable test with a convenient and simple user experience. We see the development of an at-home lateral flow rapid antigen test as a complementary solution to our best-in-class BD Veritor system.”
BD has been at the forefront of the effort to develop tests for COVID-19, with its Veritor and BD Max platforms providing COVID-19 test results throughout the pandemic. The company’s COVID-19 diagnostics alone brought in $867 million in revenue in the first quarter of 2021.
“Partnering with an industry leader like BD creates a unique opportunity to help millions of people test for the SARS-CoV-2 virus from the safety and comfort of their homes,” Scanwell Health founder & CEO Stephen Chen said. “Scanwell’s innovative computer vision technology closely mirrors that of point-of-care and laboratory diagnostic systems. We’re excited to leverage our experience in building FDA-cleared apps to bring this solution to market.”