Partnership will see combining resources and manufacturing strengths in the diagnostics space
BY KHIRTINI K KUMARAN
CHEMBIO Diagnostics, Inc (Chembio) has signed a manufacturing agreement with Reszon Diagnostics International Sdn Bhd (Reszon) to produce Chembio’s HIV 1/2 STAT-PAK Assay products in Malaysia.
In an announcement on May 17, 2022, Chembio said the kits would be manufactured at Chembio Diagnostics Malaysia Sdn Bhd’s (CDM) facility, which had previously suspended operations in May 2020.
This new manufacturing arrangement will leverage CDM’s product and facility qualification by the World Health Organisation Prequalification Program and ISO 13485 certification. Chembio’s manufacturing abilities will be combined with Reszon’s resources and manufacturing strengths in the diagnostics space in this partnership.
Operations are expected to commence in the third quarter of 2022, dependent on reaching certain quality, production, and other targets.
Chembio’s CEO and President Richard Eberly said: “We are excited to be working with Reszon, a leader in Malaysian diagnostics test kits, to optimise our global manufacturing by leveraging our Malaysian resources. It represents a significant milestone in our Global Competitiveness Program to improve profitability.
“We believe this new relationship will increase our capacity to supply new markets, bolster our competitiveness and strengthen our position in rapid point-of-care testing.
“We look forward to exploring commercial opportunities in Malaysia and other high-growth markets.”
Chembio is a leading diagnostics company focused on developing and commercialising point-of-care tests to detect and diagnose infectious diseases, including sexually transmitted infections, insect vector and tropical disease, Covid-19 and other viral and bacterial infections, enabling expedited treatment.
Leveraging each other’s strengths
With Chembio’s extensive scientific expertise, its novel DPP technology offers broad market applications beyond infectious disease.
Reszon’s CEO EL Law said: “Chembio offers best-in-class technology, and we are confident we can significantly scale manufacturing of their tests. We are eager to work with the entire Chembio team and will expand our business in the Malaysian and international markets.
“We see this as an excellent opportunity for both parties to leverage our strengths. We feel this can take us both to the next level of commercial success and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship.”
Reszon, established in 2010, develops and manufactures a strong portfolio of innovative in-vitro diagnostics (IVD) rapid tests and ELISA kits for medical professionals, including clinical diagnostic markets worldwide.
It is the largest regional supplier of Covid-19 self-test kits, having supplied over 20 million kits in Southeast Asia. It is working to fully automate its manufacturing process to remain competitive in the worldwide market and provide the most cost-effective self-testing diagnostics. — The Health
