Sorrento Therapeutics Gains Rights For Rapid SARS-CoV-2 Virus Diagnostic Test

(RTTNews) - Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. (SRNE) has entered into a licensing agreement with Columbia University for the rights to a rapid, one-step diagnostic test that detects SARS-CoV-2 virus within 30 minutes from a sample of saliva. Developed by Zev Williams, and his team at the Columbia University Fertility Center, the COVI-TRACE approach eliminates the need for nasal swabbing.

Under the COVI-TRACE method, a small sample of saliva is collected in a cup and then placed into a tube containing enzymes and reagents. The tube is then placed into a heat block or water bath to keep the sample warm throughout the chemical reaction, which takes 30 minutes or less to provide a colorimetric reading based on detection of the presence of the virus.