The objective of the SRA is to design and assess the analytical performance of the NHA-based system to directly detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus and distinguish that binding from other human coronaviruses.
FREMONT, CA: Hoth Therapeutics, a biopharmaceutical company, declared that it has entered into a Sponsored Research Agreement ("SRA") with the George Washington University ("GW") associated with the development of an in vitro diagnostic device that has the potential for testing by patients anywhere to enable public health professionals to immediately detect SARS-CoV-2 through a mobile device as an aid in the diagnosis of the COVID-19 infection.
The device, which is based upon intellectual property rights licensed by Hoth from GW, is a nanohole array ("NHA") based plasmonic system being designed for high specificity and sensitivity for detecting the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The device utilizes a thin sheet of gold-coated with virus-specific proteins that can bind with the SARS-CoV-2 virus. Once the SARS-CoV-2 virus binds, the wavelength of light bouncing off the surface changes, creating a different color of light. This change in light color can be detected by a smartphone camera and an app with algorithms designed to identify the SARS-CoV-2 virus. The test has the potential to deliver results within minutes, and the results can then be sent to healthcare professionals or public health databases utilizing the app on the patient's mobile device.
The objective of the SRA is to design and assess the analytical performance of the NHA-based system to directly detect the SARS-CoV-2 virus and distinguish that binding from other human coronaviruses.
"Hoth is pleased to once again be working alongside some of the most renowned experts in the fields of engineering and public health research at GW," said, Robb Knie, Chairman and CEO of Hoth Therapeutics. "Narrowing down the time in which a COVID-19 test is administered and when results are provided remains a significant issue for our society. A device that can provide immediate COVID-19 test results would have a dramatic impact on our economy returning to normal once again. We are committed to doing what we can to fast-track the development of this device, which could potentially have a monumental impact in slowing and or stopping the spread of COVID-19 when its presence is detected."
