Knoxville News Sentinel – A small Knoxville firm that manufactures early detection tests for colon cancer has switched gears to quickly develop a COVID-19 antibody test.
EDP Biotech CEO Eric Mayer told Knox News the company is pursuing certifications to sell and process antibody tests from other manufacturers while it develops its own test.
“These antibody tests are becoming more and more important, especially as we learn more and more about the prevalence (of the virus) in the population and about people that don’t have symptoms that may have been carriers in the past or have been infected in the past,” Mayer said. “These antibody tests will help reveal that.”
The company is anticipating antibody tests will be a key component of combating the spread of the coronavirus pandemic over the next 12 to 18 months.
Mayer estimated the five-person lab based in Knoxville could eventually make up to 1,000 antibody tests per day.