Italy's Triboo starts selling Chinese COVID-19 antibody tests (updated)
23/04/2020 10:42
* Latest Italian company to sell medical kit
* Sales will be targeted at companies at first
* Antibody tests seen as key for controlling virus
(Adds detail)
By Giulia Segreti
ROME, April 23 (Reuters) - Italian digital services company
Triboo TB.MI said on Thursday it had started selling antibody
tests for Covid-19 produced by China's SOBC Outdo Biotech, as
Italy draws closer to easing the lockdown measures imposed to
tackle the coronavirus outbreak.
Pharmaceutical firms are racing to develop tests that could
tell whether people have had Covid-19 and authorities have been
trying to set up broad-based testing systems as part of plans
for a controlled return to work after weeks of lockdown.
Triboo's announcement comes as Italy's northern region of
Lombardy, the epicentre of the country's outbreak, is set to
start tests on citizens in four of its hardest-hit cities. It
will be extended to the entire region next week.
That project will use a test developed by Diasorin DIAS.MI
in conjunction with the Poloclinico San Matteo hospital in
Pavia. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL5N2C23F0
On Monday, Italian e-commerce group Giglio GGTV.MI
announced a similar move, signing a deal with China's Sinopharm
1099.HK to sell medical products, including antibody tests.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nFWN2C604R
Triboo will initially sell to companies, which are preparing
to restart operations once the government lifts a weeks-long
shutdown of factories and business to speed up health checks of
staff returning to work, a company spokesman said.
It could also sell to the general public "as soon as the
situation is more calm", he said.
The SOBC Outdo Biotech kits produce a result in 10-15
minutes, the statement said.
Antibody tests are a fast way of identifying people who have
been infected by the virus and are considered critical for
measuring and controlling its spread.
But there have been some questions about the reliability and
accuracy of some antibody tests, highlighting the challenge in
fighting the epidemic. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL3N2CA2Z4 urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL5N2CA0X3
Triboo will take orders via email and kits will be sent from
its Shanghai office and delivered in 10-15 days, the company
said.
Shares in Triboo rose as much as 12.5% in early trading and
were up 11.4% at 1.56 euros per share at 0930 GMT, after failing
to start trading at open due to excess volatility.
The death toll in Italy since the coronavirus outbreak came
to light on Feb 21 now stands at 25,085 - the second highest in
the world after that of the United States - and the number of
confirmed cases on Wednesday was 187,327. urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL5N2CA5Y4
Italy is likely to start easing its lockdown measures from
May 4, Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte said on Tuesday.
urn:newsml:reuters.com:*:nL8N2C91OW
(Reporting by Giulia Segreti;
editing by Gianluca Semeraro and Josephine Mason)
((Giulia.Segreti@tr.com; +39.06.85224324;))