BANGKOK, March 18 (TNA) – Vidyasirimedhi Institute of Science and Technology (VISTEC) will produce about 100,000 test kits a month for the tests of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) that will show test results in an hour at the price of only 500 baht.
Chansin Treenuchagron, president and chief executive officer of PTT Plc, said PTT and VISTEC developed the test kits with the help of many partners including the Broad Institute, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Harvard, the Department of Medical Sciences, the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, the Faculty of Science at Mahidol University and Prapokklao Hospital. PTT and Siam Commercial Bank funded the development.
The new test kits showed results within 30-45 minutes, much faster than conventional test kits which took 4-6 hours in laboratories. Besides, the test fee by the new test kits was at about 500 baht only, compared with 3,000-13,000 baht with conventional equipment, Mr Chansin said. The Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital was testing the new test kits, he said.
According to Mr Chansin, PTT funded the development project with a budget of about 3 million. VISTEC has a plant that can produce 4,000 test kits a day or more than 100,000 sets a month. PTT ordered an import of chemicals that will be delivered in about two weeks and they will be used with the new COVID-19 test kits. With existing equipment and chemicals, 10,000 test kits can be produced right away.
PTT will later discuss mass production with the Government Pharmaceutical Organization and the private sector.
Prof Dr Prasit Watanapa, dean of the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, said ongoing tests proved the new test kits were highly reliable.
VISTEC chairman Pailin Chuchottaworn said the new test kits were developed by Asst Prof Chayasith Uttamapinant of the Faculty of Biomolecular Science and Engineering (BSE) at VISTEC. (TNA)
