Celltrion

- Celltrion wins contract from DLA to supply rapid antigen test kits - 12-month supply for as much as USD 626 million to start next month - Celltrion becomes first Korean mass supplier of COVID-19 rapid test kits after proving quality, supply capabilities, price competitiveness [23 SEP 2021] INCHEON, South Korea-- Celltrion announced today that the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) under the Department of Defense has awarded Celltrion USA, Inc., a subsidiary company of Celltrion, a procurement contract for its DiaTrustTM COVID-19 Ag Rapid Test. Celltrion USA will make deliveries to approximately 25,000 U.S. CONUS locations to support military bases, long-term care facilities, community testing sites, critical infrastructure, and other designated places on a weekly basis.  The DLA estimates its order volume to as much as $626 million considering the change in demand by the COVID-19 community transmission rate in the U.S. Celltrion believes that this procurement contract underscores Celltrion's quality, production and supply capabilities as the deal has been awarded after the Department of Defense’s rigorous verification. Celltrion has already proven the quality and safety of DiaTrustTM earlier this year as the product obtained Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on April 16. Celltrion‘s supply capability for the contract volume is sufficiently supported by the large-scale production facility in Korea. In addition, Celltrion USA emphasized the firm’s drug distribution performance in the US market for the last three years to demonstrate its abilities to perform timely deliveries to 25,000 designated places in the U.S., at a competitive price. Unlike other COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test kits, DiaTrustTM is a product that applied two antibodies binding COVD-19 virus to both N-protein and S-protein respectively, resulting in improved sensitivity of 93.3% and specificity of 99.0%. Also the infection can be diagnosed within only 15 minutes.   The test kits to be supplied through this contact are point-of-care tests (POCT) which can only be used in the presence of medical professionals. “The fact that we were awarded a procurement contract by the DLA after having passed its strict screen process is a recognition of Celltrion’s technology and supply capability. With the COVID-19 pandemic still not showing signs of waning, we plan to focus on executing this contract as diligently as possible and further solidify the external credibility of Celltrion’s diagnostic test kits portfolio,“ said Bonjoong Kim, CEO of Celltrion USA.  ;