By Patti Sonntag Global News
Posted December 21, 2023 5:00 am. Updated December 21, 2023 3:08 pm A rapid test importer landed an estimated $2 billion in federal contracts in 2021 and 2022, despite giving regulators incomplete data about its product’s accuracy, Global News has found.
A year-long investigation into federal procurement revealed that BTNX, a small rapid test supplier based outside Toronto, deleted dozens of specimens, or samples, from a study it submitted to Health Canada. That evaluation showed how well the company’s test detected COVID-19.
The deletions made BTNX’s test appear more reliable and sensitive than it really was, according to researchers Global News consulted.