OraSure Technologies Inc (OSUR)

[HokieHead]

An in-home coronavirus test is being developed in Bethlehem. And the feds are backing it.

Updated Apr 06, 2020; Posted Apr 06, 2020

OraSure Technologies, the Bethlehem-based tech company that gained notoriety years ago with its rapid HIV test, has been awarded a $710,310 federal contract to develop an in-home coronavirus test, the company announced Monday morning.

The contract comes from the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, a division of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. It will enable OrasSure to file for special authorization from the FDA allowing the in-home test to debut in the U.S. market.

OraSure is billing the test’s development as a possible breakthrough in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic.

Once its developed and the necessary approvals are obtained, the test would help alleviate the pressure on over-burdened healthcare systems, a news release from OraSure says.

“Healthcare providers, retailers, and online vendors could ship tests directly to an individual’s home, eliminating unnecessary trips to hospitals, doctors’ offices, and testing facilities,” the release says. “This would help maintain social distancing and curb the spread of coronavirus through symptomatic and asymptomatic transmission. Rapid in-home testing could also ease the burden on lab-based testing.”