AlphaBiolabs has received a number of “desperate enquiries” from frontline organisations, including the NHS, for its Covid-19 testing kit, it said.
The ex-Jeremy Kyle DNA testing firm has, as a result, pledged its initial Covid-19 screening test stocks to the NHS at cost price.
It comes after AlphaBiolabs, based in Warrington, last week announced it launched a testing kit , which it claimed could detect Covid-19 within 15 minutes and before symptoms appear.
However, in a statement today, the firm acknowledged Covid-19 screening tests are “known and accepted by scientists to not be as accurate as laboratory confirmatory testing”.
Last week, Public Health England issued a warning against rapid tests “for use in community pharmacies or at home” as there was “little information on the accuracy of the tests”.
“However, they are excellent in providing a reliable, rapid, cost-effective means to quickly identify COVID-19 infection, which is what is required at this current time,” AlphaBiolabs claimed.
In the statement, the firm said it was “shocked and saddened” to receive so many enquires “from frontline organisations, such as the NHS, needing the coronavirus COVID-19 screening test, as there is currently little or no provision in place”.
“We initially ordered the COVID-19 screening test in advance to support our workplace customers, helping with testing their workforce to keep supply chain businesses operational during this unpredictable time.”
The firm continued: “However, in light of what is happening nationwide we have pledged all of our initial stocks to the NHS at cost price.
“We are therefore in the process of contacting all customers affected to inform them of a delay to their orders.”
AlphaBiolabs also said it was “encouraged” by Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s speech on Thursday, which saw him announce additional resources for mass testing and screening.
