BD Announces Collaboration for At-Home Rapid Test for COVID-19

FRANKLIN LAKES, N.J., Feb. 22, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) (NYSE: BDX), a leading global medical technology company, and Scanwell Health, a leader in smartphone-enabled at-home medical tests, today announced a collaboration to create an at-home rapid test for SARS-CoV-2 using a BD antigen test and the Scanwell Health mobile app.

As part of the collaboration, BD plans to produce a lateral flow antigen test and pair it with the Scanwell Health mobile app. The app is expected to provide step-by-step instructions on how to collect and transfer a nasal swab sample and use the mobile device's camera to analyze and interpret results. The test result will be displayed onscreen, and the companies are also planning to develop functionality to assist in automated reporting to public health agencies. This approach is intended to provide an efficient and scalable rapid antigen home testing solution.

"Testing at home before going out into the public is a critical safeguard to help stop the spread of COVID-19," said Dave Hickey, president of Life Sciences for BD. "BD and Scanwell Health are bringing the best of our innovations together to develop a reliable test with a convenient and simple user experience. We see the development of an at-home lateral flow rapid antigen test as a complementary solution to our best-in-class BD Veritor™ system."

Stephen Chen, founder and CEO of Scanwell Health said, "Partnering with an industry leader like BD creates a unique opportunity to help millions of people test for the SARS-CoV-2 virus from the safety and comfort of their homes. Scanwell's innovative computer vision technology closely mirrors that of point-of-care and laboratory diagnostic systems. We're excited to leverage our experience in building FDA-cleared apps to bring this solution to market."

BD has been on the forefront of the COVID-19 response providing innovative solutions for immunology research, molecular- and antigen-based diagnostics, devices that aid in therapeutics and injection devices for vaccine administration.

About BD Veritor™ Plus System for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2
The BD Veritor™ Plus System for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2 Assay has not been cleared or approved by FDA. The test has been authorized by FDA under an EUA for use by authorized laboratories. The test has been authorized only for the detection of proteins from SARS-CoV-2, not for any other viruses or pathogens; and, the test is only authorized for the duration of the declaration that circumstances exist justifying the authorization of emergency use of in vitro diagnostics for detection and/or diagnosis of COVID-19 under Section 564(b)(1) of the Act, 21 U.S.C. § 360bbb-3(b)(1), unless the authorization is terminated or revoked sooner. For more information on the BD Veritor™ system, please visit bdveritor.com

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 70,000 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 or connect with us on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/bd1/ and Twitter @BDandCo.

About Scanwell Health
Scanwell Health empowers health care consumers and companies through at-home medical testing with instant results. Scanwell pairs proven diagnostics with patented computer vision technology to put testing into the hands of people, enabling quick detection of acute illnesses and convenient monitoring of chronic diseases. The company is the first and only to receive FDA 510(k) clearance for an over-the-counter diagnostic smartphone application. Learn more at scanwellhealth.com.

Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements regarding the development of the BD at-home COVID-19 diagnostic test. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements.  Many of these risks and uncertainties are beyond the company's control, including without limitation, challenges inherent in product development and risks relating to regulatory compliance of any test that may be developed, disruptions caused by the coronavirus pandemic and other factors listed in our 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings with the SEC. BD expressly disclaims any undertaking to update any forward-looking statements set forth herein to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof, except as required by applicable laws or regulations.

SOURCE BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)