BD Announces Canadian Government Order of More Than 7 Million Portable, Rapid Point-of-Care Antigen Tests to Detect SARS-CoV-2 in 15 minutes

MISSISSAUGA, ON, Nov. 10, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global medical technology company, today announced its rapid, point-of-care, SARS-CoV-2 antigen test for use on the BD Veritor™ Plus System has been authorized for use by Health Canada under Interim Order. This authorization has been accompanied by an order from the Canadian government for 7.6 million tests through March 2021 to support Canada's planning for an advanced COVID-19 testing strategy.

"The Government of Canada continues to work diligently to provide Canadians with access to effective and efficient COVID-19 testing solutions," said Minister of Public Services and Procurement Anita Anand. "This new agreement with BD is critical to assisting the provinces and territories in their respective efforts to reduce the spread of the virus. We will continue to support Canadians through the COVID-19 pandemic."

The new test delivers results in approximately 15 minutes on an easy-to-use, portable instrument, which is a critical improvement in turnaround time for COVID-19 diagnostics, because it provides real-time results and enables decision-making while the patient is still onsite. This test is designed to be performed at the point-of-care, reducing the burden on testing laboratories. The test uses a mid-nasal swab to collect patient samples, which is less invasive for the patient than nasopharyngeal sample collection.

"As the demands for SARS-CoV-2 testing are increasing in Canada, we are excited to bring another testing solution to the Canadian market," said Greg Miziolek, president of BD-Canada. "The ability to perform SARS-CoV-2 testing at the point-of-care and deliver results while the patient waits will be truly impactful to help relieve some of the pressures on the testing labs and quickly identify affected patients. We applaud the federal government for their proactive approach in planning for future needs with a centralized order for antigen detection tests. We look forward to partnering with Canada's provincial health authorities to optimize the deployment of the BD Veritor™ Plus System to meet regional and local public health needs." 

The test, which received Health Canada authorization in early October, has been available in the United States since July through an Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

The test uses the BD Veritor™ Plus System, which is already in use in Canada to detect Influenza A+B, Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV), and Group A Strep. The BD Veritor™ Plus System, which has a slightly larger footprint than a mobile phone, offers an easy-to-use workflow that makes it an ideal solution for point-of-care settings. It also offers customers traceability and reporting capabilities through the optional BD Synapsys™ informatics solution. 

BD has also been supporting SARS-CoV-2 molecular testing (RT-PCR) in Canadian labs on the BD MAX™ System.

For Product Enquiries and How to Order:
Individuals interested in placing an order or learning more about the BD Veritor™ System for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2 should visit: https://go.bd.com/BDVeritorinCanada.html

About the BD Veritor™ System for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Assay
The BD Veritor™ System for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2 assay has been authorized by Health Canada under Interim Order. This test is only authorized for the duration of the Interim Order Respecting the Importation and Sale of Medical Devices for Use in Relation to COVID-19, unless the authorization is terminated or revoked sooner. The SARS-CoV-2 antigen assay has been authorized only for the detection of proteins from SARS-CoV-2, not for any other viruses or pathogens. The BD Veritor™ System for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Assay is not authorized for use by consumers or for at-home use.

About BD
BD is one of the largest global medical technology companies in the world and is advancing the world of health by improving medical discovery, diagnostics and the delivery of care. The company supports the heroes on the frontlines of health care by developing innovative technology, services and solutions that help advance both clinical therapy for patients and clinical process for health care providers. BD and its 65,000 employees have a passion and commitment to help enhance the safety and efficiency of clinicians' care delivery process, enable laboratory scientists to accurately detect disease and advance researchers' capabilities to develop the next generation of diagnostics and therapeutics. BD has a presence in virtually every country and partners with organizations around the world to address some of the most challenging global health issues. By working in close collaboration with customers, BD can help enhance outcomes, lower costs, increase efficiencies, improve safety and expand access to health care. For more information on BD, please visit bd.com/en-ca. 

SOURCE BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)