Shanghai company obtains license to produce COVID-19 antibody test kits

Shanghai Outdo Biotech Co Ltd became the first enterprise in the city to be granted a license to produce test kits for the novel coronavirus antibody, Shanghai Observer reported on Tuesday.

The test kits can perform in vitro qualitative detection of the targeted antibody for the virus in people's serum, plasma and venous blood, and results can be available in 15 minutes, according to the report.

Based in Shanghai's Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park, the company explained that the test kits can only be used as supplementary test indicators for suspected COVID-19 cases and cannot be used for case diagnosis or health screening among the general population.

The company, which completed the research and development of the kits in late January, was granted the national license for the production of the test kits on Friday after the approval process was expedited by the authorities.

In mid-January, the company announced its success in the research and development of test kits for nucleic acid testing for the novel coronavirus.