Novacyt gets PHE order for Covid-19 tests

Novacyt said on Monday that Public Health England has decided to use a Covid-19 test developed by its molecular diagnostics division, Primerdesign.

Following the completion of PHE’s formal evaluation of the test, as announced last week, the government agency has begun ordering it. Orders are initially for eight hospitals to provide stocks in those locations for four weeks of planned testing, Novacyt said.

The total value of the initial purchase is about £1m, which is the single largest order the company has received to date for the Covid-19 test.

As of 13 March, Primerdesign had sold and received orders for more than £3.7m of its CE-Mark and research use only (RUO) Covid-19 tests, which includes the order received from PHE. This represents around eight months of sales for the division under normal circumstances, it said, and is additional revenue to the core Novacyt business.

Chief executive officer Graham Mullis said he was "delighted" that Novacyt will now be supporting one of its home markets "during these challenging times".

"The number of countries Novacyt is now supplying with its Covid-19 test has reached over 60 and we expect this will continue to increase," he added.