Open Orphan plc (LON:ORPH) the rapidly growing specialist CRO pharmaceutical services company which has a focus on orphan drugs and is the world leader in the testing of vaccines and antivirals using human challenge study models, noted today the increase in the Company’s share price and media comment regarding its collaboration with Quotient Limited. Furthermore, it also notes the substantial increase in interest in antibody testing for Covid-19 following recent announcements by the UK Government.
The Company confirms that the MosaiQ COVID-19 Antibody Microarray machine is on site at hVivo’s laboratory in East London and is undergoing testing. It is expected to be fully operational within two weeks following which it will have capability to undertake up to 3,000 tests a day, in line with expected performance as stated by Quotient Limited. The Company intends to enter into discussions with channel partners to secure testing volumes with pricing to be determined as part of these negotiations. It is not the company’s intention to deal directly with consumers and while there can be no certainty on pricing until such time as terms are agreed, the Company notes current market prices ranging from c.£70 for home testing kits and upwards towards c.£150. It is the intention to supply testing capability to channel partners, who will in turn deal with the end users and the final price points. The Company will update shareholders in due course.
Further information on Open Orphan’s approach to Covid-19 antibody testing and vaccine trials is available on the Company’s website
