Xtrava Health Receives NIH Funding for Their SPERA™ COVID-19 Ag Test

SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 28, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Xtrava Health, a health technology company, today announced it has been awarded a $6.2 million contract by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx^SM) initiative to expedite the launch of its SPERA™ COVID-19 antigen test. Xtrava Health is one of the companies selected from a pool of more than 700 RADx applicants for the scale-up phase of the initiative.

This contract follows months of meeting milestones and vetting Xtrava Health's technology and scale-up plans by clinical, diagnostics industry, and academic experts including independent evaluation and validation of the SPERA™ COVID-19 Ag Test's analytical and clinical performance by Emory University. RADx is supporting the company's analytical and clinical trials costs as well as program management and commercialization efforts.

"We are honored to be selected as part of the RADx initiative to help significantly increase the number, type, and availability of COVID-19 tests, which is essential to a full reopening of the economy," said Sameh Sarhan, CEO of Xtrava Health. "For the point-of-care market, our ability to quickly deliver millions of easy-to-use rapid antigen tests should contribute to the overall effort, with a subsequent over-the-counter test that will further maximize the impact." 

The SPERA™ COVID-19 Ag Test is top-ranked for its ease-of-use -- only requiring shallow nasal swabs and providing results in 15 minutes or less. The test is currently in clinical trials for use in point-of-care settings. Over-the-counter clinical trials will soon follow current efforts where the test will be combined with a portable digital reader and smartphone app for increased sensitivity.

In addition, Xtrava Health is proud to announce its partnership with Denka Corporation, a Japan-based top tier infectious disease diagnostics developer and large-scale manufacturer.

Denka has successfully developed and commercialized numerous tests and has held the leading manufacturer position in Japan of diagnostic tests, including a multiplex QuickNavi-flu A/B rapid test and most recently adding a rapid antigen SARS-CoV-2 test to their portfolio.

"The strength of this partnership will allow Xtrava Health to meet the current market demand, while continuing to develop innovative diagnostics solutions," said Mr. Sarhan. "This includes our next-generation, consumer-facing digitally connected COVID-19 test and digital reader targeted for launch later this year." 

Xtrava Health is committed to increasing the availability, ease, and accuracy of point-of-care testing, as well as expanding its over-the-counter testing platform to reach those who need it the most. "We believe our large-scale connected diagnostic platform will play a key role in responding to COVID-19 as well as providing the tools that are needed to mitigate the impact of future pandemics," said Iman Sadreddin, Xtrava Health's COO.

This project has been funded in part by the NIH Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx^SM) initiative with federal funds from the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Institutes of Health, Department of Health and Human Services, under Contract No. 75N92021C00002.

About Xtrava Health
Xtrava Health is a Silicon Valley company, founded in 2014, on a mission to bridge the gap between diagnostics and everyday users. Leveraging unique technology and strategic global partnerships, Xtrava Health develops, manufactures, and commercializes easy-to-use, accurate, and affordable diagnostic products for health professionals and at-home use. Xtrava Health is currently on the forefront in the battle against the COVID-19 pandemic.

SOURCE Xtrava Health