TIDMBVC
RNS Number : 0092T
BATM Advanced Communications Ld
15 July 2020
LEI: 213800FLQUB9J289RU66
15 July 2020
BATM Advanced Communications Limited
("BATM" or "the Group")
BATM expands COVID-19 diagnostic tests
Launch of three new test kits to advance the diagnosis of
COVID-19 and other respiratory illness
BATM (LSE: BVC; TASE: BVC), a leading provider of real-time
technologies for networking solutions and medical laboratory
systems, announces the launch of three new diagnostic kits to
significantly advance the diagnosis of COVID-19 and other
respiratory illnesses.
Highlights
-- COVID-19 serologic test upgraded to measure the quantity of
antibodies in the blood rather than just the presence or
absence
-- COVID-19 antigen test upgraded to detect spike (S) gene to
enable diagnosis of COVID-19 in people with low viral loads,
increasing testing accuracy
-- New molecular diagnostics test developed to rapidly identify
the specific respiratory virus or bacteria in someone presenting
with symptoms of, or suspected to have pre-symptomatic respiratory
illness
The Group expects to commence sales and production of the kits
at its Adaltis facility in Italy at the end of Q3/beginning of Q4
2020.
COVID-19 serologic test
The Group's serologic test for the detection of COVID-19
antibodies, as announced on 5 May 2020, has been advanced to be
able to measure the quantity of antibodies in the blood rather than
just identifying their presence or absence (qualitative test). The
upgraded test measures both IgM antibodies, which are produced a
few days after infection and remain in the blood for a short
period, and IgG antibodies, which are longer-term (produced a few
days after infection and remain in the blood for a few months)
antibodies. It has the same levels of sensitivity and specificity
as those of the market-leading brands, with sensitivity of 100.0%
and specificity of 99.8%.
This upgraded test was developed by the Group in response to the
growing amount of medical research suggesting that the volume of
antibodies in the blood of someone who has recovered from COVID-19
is low and declines. This test is designed to support public health
authorities and individuals in making informed decisions by knowing
the potential level of immunity based on the volume of antibodies
detected and their deterioration over time. As such, it is an
important tool for estimating herd immunity and the efficiency of
future vaccines.
This kit will run on Adaltis instruments as well as on any
standard ELISA instrument.
COVID-19 antigen test
The Group has expanded the gene discovery capability of its
COVID-19 antigen test to five and, importantly, to include the
spike (S) gene. The S gene is the protein that the virus uses to
invade human cells. It is present in a person's blood even if they
have a very low viral load of COVID-19 (which might otherwise go
undetected). As a result, by being able to detect the S gene, this
test can provide more accurate results, reducing the risk of false
positives and false negatives.
Reducing false negative results will prevent missing real cases,
especially those in the early stages of infection, who could
unknowingly spread the infection. At the same time, reducing false
positive results will avoid the needless quarantining of people who
have not actually been infected.
The five gene discovery capability compares with a market
standard of one to three gene discovery capability. This kit can
run on Adaltis instruments as well as on any standard PCR
instrument.
New molecular diagnostics test
The Group has launched a new molecular diagnostics kit that is
able to test for multiple respiratory pathogens at the same time.
In less than an hour, it can identify the particular cause
(pathogen) of a respiratory illness, enabling the correct treatment
or action to be rapidly implemented. It can identify and
differentiate between all prominent respiratory viruses, including
all strains of COVID-19, flu and the common cold. It can also
detect the bacteria that cause the serious pulmonary illnesses that
are believed to be a secondary infection of COVID-19, such as
pneumonia and Legionnaires' disease. This new kit was developed in
collaboration with academics at Tor Vergata University in
Italy.
The ability to rapidly identify the specific cause of a disease
enables the correct treatment to be given more quickly resulting in
better patient outcomes. This is particularly important for the
coming winter where seasonal colds and flu could appear alongside
COVID-19 and patients would present with similar symptoms, with
cases already on the rise in parts of the southern hemisphere where
winter has begun. The ability to rapidly diagnose the particular
illness would help to alleviate some of the heavy strain on the
public health systems.
This kit, which is expected to receive CE certification in the
coming weeks, can run on all Adaltis instruments as well as on any
standard PCR instrument. Further information on the detected
viruses are listed in the Notes to Editors below.
Dr. Zvi Marom, Chief Executive Officer of BATM, said:
"I am delighted to be introducing these three new diagnostic
kits that place us at the forefront in the fight against COVID-19.
Accurate diagnostics is the only tool that exists that can enable a
transition towards normality as we continue to live in the presence
of the pandemic. We believe that our new kits can provide a vital
resource for public health authorities and we are greatly
encouraged that we have already received requests to receive these
tests immediately once released.
"I would like to give thanks to our dedicated workforce who do
all that is humanly possible to develop industry-leading diagnostic
solutions. In particular, special thanks goes to our R&D teams
led by Prof. Favaro and Drs. Mattina, Padula and Deangelo, as well
as the support team led by Mr. Middleton. Together with those who
work on longer term R&D strategy and our partners, they have
been able to translate scientific knowhow into real-world products
that are being used every day to support public health authorities
and their communities in these distressing times."
Enquiries:
BATM Advanced Communications
Dr Zvi Marom, Chief Executive Officer +972 9866 2525
Moti Nagar, Chief Financial Officer
Shore Capital
Mark Percy, Anita Ghanekar, James Thomas (Corporate Advisory)
Henry Willcocks (Corporate Broking) +44 20 7408 4050
Luther Pendragon
Harry Chathli, Claire Norbury +44 20 7618 9100
Notes to Editors
Viruses detected by new molecular diagnostics test
The Group's new molecular diagnostics kits is able to detect all
strains of COVID-19 (229E, HKU1, NL63, OC43) as well as all common
respiratory viruses including Flu A&B, RSV A&B (common
cold), Adeno Virus, Meta Pseudo Virus and Roca Virus.
It can also detect the bacteria that cause serious pulmonary
illnesses as a secondary infection of COVID-19, including
Bordetella Pertussis, Legionella pneumophila, Mycoplasma pneumonia
and Chlamydiophila pneumonia.
Antibodies and antigens
Antibodies are proteins produced by the body in response to
harmful substances called antigens (e.g. a virus). ELISA
(enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) serological tests measure the
amount of various antibodies present in the blood when the body is
responding to a specific infection, like COVID-19. The ELISA
serological test detects the body's immune response to the
infection caused by the virus rather than detecting the virus
itself - to help identify those who have been infected and
developed antibodies that may protect them from future
infection.
This information is provided by RNS, the news service of the
London Stock Exchange. RNS is approved by the Financial Conduct
Authority to act as a Primary Information Provider in the United
Kingdom. Terms and conditions relating to the use and distribution
of this information may apply. For further information, please
contact rns@lseg.com or visit www.rns.com.
END
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