BD announces order of 7 million portable, Rapid antigen tests to Detect SARS-CoV-2
by CM Staff
The new test reportedly delivers results in approximately 15 minutes on a portable instrument
MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a medical technology company, announced its rapid, point-of-care, SARS-CoV-2 antigen test for use on the BD Veritor Plus System has been authorized for use by Health Canada under Interim Order.
This authorization has been accompanied by an order from the Canadian government for 7.6 million tests through March 2021 to support Canada’s planning for an advanced COVID-19 testing strategy.
“The Government of Canada continues to work diligently to provide Canadians with access to effective and efficient COVID-19 testing solutions,” said Minister of Public Services and Procurement Anita Anand in a prepared statement. “This new agreement with BD is critical to assisting the provinces and territories in their respective efforts to reduce the spread of the virus.”
The new test reportedly delivers results in approximately 15 minutes on a portable instrument. The test uses a mid-nasal swab to collect patient samples, which is less invasive for the patient than nasopharyngeal sample collection.
“As the demands for SARS-CoV-2 testing are increasing in Canada, we are excited to bring another testing solution to the Canadian market,” said Greg Miziolek, president of BD-Canada. “The ability to perform SARS-CoV-2 testing at the point-of-care and deliver results while the patient waits will be truly impactful to help relieve some of the pressures on the testing labs and quickly identify affected patients. We applaud the federal government for their proactive approach in planning for future needs with a centralized order for antigen detection tests. We look forward to partnering with Canada’s provincial health authorities to optimize the deployment of the BD Veritor Plus System to meet regional and local public health needs.”
The test, which received Health Canada authorization in early October, has been available in the United States since July through an Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The test uses the BD Veritor Plus System, which is already in use in Canada to detect Influenza A+B, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and Group A Strep.
