RICOVR Healthcare Selected for Semi-Finals in Global XPRIZE Rapid Covid Testing Competition
“We are proud to move into the semi-finals with our groundbreaking COVID-19 point-of-care antigen test. Our technology is differentiated from the other molecular and antibody-based tests in that it can detect the presence of active viral particles on-the-spot without needing specialized sample preparation. This can be a game-changer in the management and control of COVID.” said Dr. Himanshu Bhatia, CEO, and Founder of RICOVR.
Society’s most vulnerable citizens and populations are disproportionately affected by Covid-19, with tests being inaccessible, too expensive, or too slow. Communities are being forced to shut down. Economies are crippled due to Covid-19.
Launched on July 28, 2020, XPRIZE Rapid COVID Testing is a $5 million, a 6-month competition that aims to increase Covid-19 testing capabilities 100-times past our current standard, the level of increase needed to more safely return to everyday activities.
“This is another testament of our robust diagnostics platform, which has been developed over the years with rigorous research. We are working expeditiously to bring the COVID test to the market,” said Piyush Sadana, COO and Co-Founder of RICOVR.
219 teams moved on to the semi-finals after being assigned a “pass” by XPRIZE judges. Semi-finalist teams will be sent a blinded Proficiency Test Kit and be required to accurately identify which samples contain Covid-19. Teams will have one week to submit their results to the XPRIZE Data Collaborative, where their results will be scored on specificity, sensitivity, and limits of detection.
Finalists will be announced on October 23, 2020, and from there they will have two weeks to send their testing kits and protocols to two separate laboratories for clinical validation. To ensure fair competition with comparable results, samples within each lab will be split and tested across multiple tests.
A $1-million grand prize will be awarded to each of the top five teams that develop frequent, fast, cheap and easy Covid-19 screening solutions that help meet the surging demand for tests, and relieve the global supply chain. Final event details will be shared at a later date.
“This is another testament of our robust diagnostics platform, which has been developed over the years with rigorous research. We are working expeditiously to bring the COVID antigen test to the market to help the government, businesses, schools, and healthcare systems save human lives and resume economic activities,” said Piyush Sadana, COO and Co-Founder of RICOVR.
About RICOVR
RICOVR is a market leader in saliva-based diagnostics technologies. The company’s product pipeline includes rapid point-of-care tests for Covid-19, THC & drugs-of-abuse, and infectious diseases. The firm boasts a distinguished advisory board and management team of scientists and engineers committed to making a positive impact on society. In addition, the company has strong partnerships with leading research and development institutions around the globe. To learn more about RICOVR, visit https://www.ricovr.com/.
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About XPRIZE
XPRIZE, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is the global leader in designing and implementing innovative competition models to solve the world’s grandest challenges. Active competitions include the $20 Million NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, the $10 Million Rainforest XPRIZE, the $10 Million ANA Avatar XPRIZE, the $5 Million IBM Watson AI XPRIZE, $5 Million XPRIZE Rapid Reskilling, XPRIZE NextGen Mask Challenge, and $5 Million XPRIZE Rapid COVID Testing. For more information, visit xprize.org.
Source: einnews.com
