New COVID-19 Vaccine Mandates Make Rapid COVID Tests More Essential Than Ever

covid tests

With the number of new COVID cases surging, fueled by a highly contagious Delta variant and only 50% of the US population having been vaccinated,  rapid COVID tests and treatments are more important than ever. Perhaps even more alarming is the fact that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) attributes between 80% and 87% of all US COVID-19 cases in the last two weeks of July to the new Delta variant. As biotechnology companies like Cocrystal Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ:COCP) and Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK) continue working to create antiviral treatments for COVID-19 and emerging variants and vaccine-makers like Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) boost production, it’s becoming increasingly clear that rapid test developers like Sixth Wave Innovations Inc. (OTC:SIXWF) (CSE:SIXW) and Co-Diagnostics Inc. (NASDAQ:CODX) will be instrumental in helping curb the ongoing spread of the virus.

The increase in cases and decrease in vaccine effectiveness should be of concern, since it indicates that the Delta variant has the potential to cause COVID-19 outbreaks, even in highly vaccinated populations, warranting the development of rapid COVID tests.

Fortunately, Sixth Wave Innovations Inc. a nanotechnology company with patented technologies that focus on extraction and detection of target substances at the molecular level using highly specialized Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs) just announced that it has improved the sensitivity and capability of its leading-edge nanotechnology to detect the presence of the SARS-CoV-2 at levels below 1,000,000 virus particles/mL.

“Reaching sensitivity measurements of 1,000,000 virus particles/mL is a huge technical achievement,” says Dr. Michael Joyce, a virologist who carried out the research at the University of Alberta’s Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology. “At this level, infectious persons who are actively shedding the virus can be detected.” 

This high level of sensitivity is crucial to detecting infectious patients, and an important clinical weapon in the struggle to control the global spread of the Covid pandemic. 

This announcement comes on the heels of two prior critical milestones. On April 14, Sixth Wave Innovations Inc. successfully demonstrated colorimetric detection of SARS-CoV-2, its patent-pending Accelerated Molecular Imprinted Polymers (AMIPs) technology. Then on June 10, the company successfully demonstrated the detection of the UK and the South African SARS-CoV-2 variants, using two independent techniques: a color-based sensor and independently verified on a Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) based AMIP sensor. 

Co-Diagnostics Inc. (NASDAQ:CODX) has also been making major advancements and recently announced the publication of a paper showing its Logix Smart™ COVID-19 Test Kit was used to demonstrate that the SARS-CoV-2 virus can be detected in cancer tissue of coronavirus patients, even before symptoms occur.

Vaccine Development Against Variants Continues To Gather Momentum

On June 14, Cocrystal Pharma Inc. (NASDAQ:COCP) announced that its lead preclinical SARS-CoV-2 3CL protease inhibitor CDI-45205 is active against SARS-CoV-2 and two prominent SARS-CoV-2 variants. A third-party laboratory contracted by Cocrystal conducted in vitro studies evaluating the antiviral activity of CDI-45205 and its analogs and results showed it had excellent antiviral activity against both the United Kingdom and South Africa variants.

In a recent update, multinational pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. (NYSE:MRK)  announced Phase 2 interim results from two Phase 2/3 clinical trials (MOVe-OUT and MOVe-IN) of molnupiravir (MK-4482/EIDD-2801), an investigational oral antiviral therapeutic. The Phase 3 portion of the global MOVe-OUT trial is now underway and the company plans to initiate a clinical program to evaluate molnupiravir for post-exposure prophylaxis in the second half of 2021.

Moderna Inc. (NASDAQ:MRNA) also just announced the publication of new data on the durability of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in generating neutralizing antibodies against variants of concern. According to the paper, the majority of individuals vaccinated with the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine maintained both binding and functional antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 variants for six months after the second dose. Furthermore, the study showed that after two doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine, binding and neutralizing antibodies were generated against ancestral strains of the virus and against the variants of concern, Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta, Epsilon and Iota. 

Going forward, all evidence points to an extended coexistence with COVID-19, meaning that rapid, accurate COVID tests – such as that demonstrated by Sixth Wave’s AMIPs technology – will remain critically important for the foreseeable future. 

To learn more about Sixth Wave and the Accelerated Molecular Imprinted Polymers (AMIPs) technology, click here.

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Featured Image: Megapixl © Innaastakhova 


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6) This document contains forward-looking information and forward-looking statements, within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, (collectively, “forward-looking statements”), which reflect management's expectations regarding Sixth Wave Innovations Inc.’s future growth, future business plans and opportunities, expected activities, and other statements about future events, results or performance. Wherever possible, words such as “predicts”, “projects”, “targets”, “plans”, “expects”, “does not expect”, “budget”, “scheduled”, “estimates”, “forecasts”, “anticipate” or “does not anticipate”, “believe”, “intend” and similar expressions or statements that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved, or the negative or grammatical variation thereof or other variations thereof, or comparable terminology have been used to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, among other things, statements relating to: (a) revenue generating potential with respect to Sixth Wave Innovations Inc.’s industry; (b) market opportunity; (c) Sixth Wave Innovations Inc.s business plans and strategies; (d) services that Sixth Wave Innovations Inc. intends to offer; (e) Sixth Wave Innovations Inc.’s milestone projections and targets; (f) Sixth Wave Innovations Inc.’s expectations regarding receipt of approval for regulatory applications; (g) Sixth Wave Innovations Inc.’s intentions to expand into other jurisdictions including the timeline expectations relating to those expansion plans; and (h) Sixth Wave Innovations Inc.’s expectations with regarding its ability to deliver shareholder value. Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and are based upon a number of estimates and assumptions of management in light of management’s experience and perception of trends, current conditions and expected developments, as well as other factors that management believes to be relevant and reasonable in the circumstances, as of the date of this document including, without limitation, assumptions about: (a) the ability to raise any necessary additional capital on reasonable terms to execute Sixth Wave Innovations Inc.’s business plan; (b) that general business and economic conditions will not change in a material adverse manner; (c) Sixth Wave Innovations Inc.’s ability to procure equipment and operating supplies in sufficient quantities and on a timely basis; (d) Sixth Wave Innovations Inc.’s ability to enter into contractual arrangements with additional Pharmacies; (e) the accuracy of budgeted costs and expenditures; (f) Sixth Wave Innovations Inc.’s ability to attract and retain skilled personnel; (g) political and regulatory stability; (h) the receipt of governmental, regulatory and third-party approvals, licenses and permits on favorable terms; (i) changes in applicable legislation; (j) stability in financial and capital markets; and (k) expectations regarding the level of disruption to as a result of CV-19. Such forward-looking information involves a variety of known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements of Sixth Wave Innovations Inc. to be materially different from any future plans, intentions, activities, results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks include, without limitation: (a) Sixth Wave Innovations Inc.’s operations could be adversely affected by possible future government legislation, policies and controls or by changes in applicable laws and regulations; (b) public health crises such as CV-19 may adversely impact Sixth Wave Innovations Inc.’s business; (c) the volatility of global capital markets; (d) political instability and changes to the regulations governing Sixth Wave Innovations Inc.’s business operations (e) Sixth Wave Innovations Inc. may be unable to implement its growth strategy; and (f) increased competition.

Except as required by law, Sixth Wave Innovations Inc. undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future event or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Neither does Sixth Wave Innovations Inc. nor any of its representatives make any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy, sufficiency or completeness of the information in this document. Neither Sixth Wave Innovations Inc. nor any of its representatives shall have any liability whatsoever, under contract, tort, trust or otherwise, to you or any person resulting from the use of the information in this document by you or any of your representatives or for omissions from the information in this document.

7) Any graphs, tables or other information demonstrating the historical performance or current or historical attributes of Sixth Wave Innovations Inc. or any other entity contained in this document are intended only to illustrate historical performance or current or historical attributes of Sixth Wave Innovations Inc. or such entities and are not necessarily indicative of future performance of Sixth Wave Innovations Inc. or such entities.