DNA LINK agreed to export millions of its super-fast test kits for COVID-19, dubbed “AccuFIND COVID19 Ag,” to Ukraine a year. Photo courtesy of DNA LINK

Ukraine will import at least 2 million super-fast kits from Korea

DNA LINK, a South Korean biotechnology company, announced on Oct. 19 that it had agreed to export super-fast test kits for COVID-19 to Ukraine, the seventh-most populous country in Europe.

The Seoul-based firm said that Ukraine will purchase millions of the diagnostic kit, named “AccuFIND COVID19 Ag,” designed to detect the new coronavirus in 10-15 minutes.

“Our partner in Ukraine will import at least 500,000 kits per quarter, which means the annual amount is more than 2 million kits,” a DNA LINK official said.

The official expected that other countries will import the advanced assay kits, which can detect COVID-19 in patients even if they have just become infected.

DNA LINK has teamed up with GTG Wellness, a Korean producer and distributor of medical equipment, so as to find global customers for AccuFIND COVID19 Ag.

“In September, the Korean government approved the export of the new test kits. We are going through necessary procedures to obtain CE certification,” the DNA LINK official said.

“Discussions are underway to export our products to other countries. The newly-developed kits are expected to keep boosting our sales down the road.”

AccuFIND COVID19 Ag identifies COVID-19 based on a sample collected from a person’s nose or throat. It is checking an antigen to detect the novel coronavirus, which enables detection of the infection early on.

By contrast, kits using antibodies can distinguish COVID-19 about a week after infection.

Another advantage of AccuFIND COVID19 Ag is that testers do not need expensive equipment, which is indispensable for conventional RT-PCT tests.

Accordingly, countries in Asia, South America, and Africa, which lack such equipment, would vie to take advantage of AccuFIND COVID19 Ag, according to DNA LINK.
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