Rockeby Biomed Ltd (ASX:RBY) has nabbed the rights to distribute an oral swab test in Singapore that can be used to detect HIV. The Singapore-based biotech, which is listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX), has signed a deal with OraSure Technologies, a US-based company which makes devices for collecting oral fluid samples. Rockeby plans to launch a pilot program for the “OraQuick” test immediately, with a view to distributing it to government agencies, hospitals, and clinics in Singapore. The test can detect the presence of antibodies to both HIV-1 and HIV-2 within 20 minutes, without the need for needles or hazardous waste disposal. Rockeby chief executive Sze Wee Tan said the technology would markedly increase access to HIV testing as the global epidemic increases.
