- The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) awards a $13.2M contract to Chembio Diagnostics (NASDAQ:CEMI +16.4%) to develop and commercialize a rapid point-of-care (POC) test for the Zika virus and other Zika-related products.
- The initial commitment of $5.9M will fund the development of the DPP Zika IgM/IgG Assay and DPP Micro Reader. There is an option for an additional $7.3M that will fund the development and regulatory submissions for the company's DPP Zika/Chikungunya/Dengue IgM/IgG Combination Assay.
- The DPP test detects IgM and IgG antibodies to Zika, Denque and Chikungunya in 10 uL fingerstick blood samples. Qualitative (positive/negative) results are generated in 15 minutes.