· Exclusive Distribution agreement covers North America, Latin America, SE Asia, Europe
· Validation of Gnomegen qPCR kits now complete at CLIA/CAP-certified lab partner
· Focus now on commercialization of combination PCR/antibody testing paradigm
REHOVOT, Israel, SINGAPORE and NEW YORK, NY, May 11, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- via NEWMEDIAWIRE -- Todos Medical Ltd. (OTCQB: TOMDF), a commercial in vitro diagnostics company focused on the development of blood tests for the early detection of cancer and neurodegenerative disorders, as well as antibody and PCR tests for COVID-19, today announced that it has entered into an exclusive distribution agreement with Gnomegen LLC (“Gnomegen”) for the distribution of its digital and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (Digital PCR and qPCR) COVID-19 testing kits in North America, Europe, Southeast Asia and Latin America. In addition, the Company announced that Gnomegen’s qPCR test received Emergency Use Authorization (“EUA”) from the US Food & Drug Administration (FDA) diagnostic test for COVID-19 on May 8th, 2020. Further, the Company announced that it has completed validation testing for the Gnomegen qPCR reagents and is now entering preparations to commercially launch the test in the United States through its partner CLIA lab.
On April 15, 2020, CMS increased its payment rates for High-Throughput SARS-CoV-2 diagnostic tests that use high-throughput technologies allowing for increased capacity and faster results to $100 per test. A High-Throughput testing lab can process at least 200 specimens per day using “highly-sophisticated equipment that requires specially trained technicians and more more-intensive processes to assure quality,” according to CMS. Todos expects that its CLIA lab partner will be able to process up to 2,000 tests per day with existing equipment, and can ramp up to 7,000 tests per day over the summer of 2020.
“Todos Medical has been positioning itself as a distribution partner to testing labs throughout the world, including high-complexity CLIA labs here in the United States, by securing stable access to large quantities of high quality Digital PCR and qPCR reagents, RNA extraction reagents, RNA sample collection kits, automated RNA extraction machines and validated point-of-care fingerprick antibody tests that are currently authorized to be run in a high-complexity CLIA lab environments,” said Gerald Commissiong, President & CEO of Todos. “We believe that in order to achieve the testing capacity required to address COVID-19, it is important for labs transitioning into COVID testing to have access to quality materials and supplies, and to be able to do both antibody testing and PCR testing. We will have access to potentially over 2 million extraction kits per week based on existing contracts with our existing suppliers, and now that we have an EUA-approved qPCR product we can begin to market a full solution to labs in the US and abroad so that they can meet the demands of the market as it matures heading into the summer of 2020.”
About the SARS-CoV-2 Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Coronaviruses are a family of viruses that can lead to respiratory illness, including Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS-CoV) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS-CoV). Coronaviruses can be transmitted between animals and people and evolve into strains not previously identified in humans. On January 7, 2020, a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was identified as the cause of pneumonia cases in Wuhan, Hubei Province of China, and additional cases have been found in a growing number of countries worldwide. COVID-19 is the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2.
About Todos Medical Ltd.
Headquartered in Rehovot, Israel, Todos Medical Ltd. (OTCQB: TOMDF) engineers life-saving diagnostic solutions for the early detection of a variety of cancers. The Company's state-of-the-art and patented Todos Biochemical Infrared Analyses (TBIA) is a proprietary cancer-screening technology using peripheral blood analysis that deploys deep examination into cancer's influence on the immune system, looking for biochemical changes in blood mononuclear cells and plasma. Todos' two internally-developed cancer-screening tests, TMB-1 and TMB-2, have received a CE mark in Europe and are currently in a pre-commercial study with its distribution partner Orot+ (a division of Luces-Orot). Todos recently entered into an exclusive option agreement to acquire U.S.-based medical diagnostics company Provista Diagnostics, Inc. to gain rights to its Alpharetta, Georgia-based CLIA/CAP certified lab and Provista's proprietary commercial-stage Videssa® breast cancer blood test. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2020.
Through Breakthrough Diagnostics, Inc., its joint venture with Amarantus Bioscience Holdings, Inc. (OTC: AMBS), Todos is also actively involved with the development of blood tests for the early detection of neurodegenerative disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease. Todos expected to complete the remaining unowned interest in Breakthrough in the second quarter of 2020.
Todos recently entered into distribution agreements with China-based companies to distribute certain novel coronavirus (COVID-19) test kits. The Company has entered into distribution agreements covering the U.S. and Israel with Gibraltar Brothers & Associates, LLC, a U.S.-based subsidiary of Shanghai Liangrun Biomedicine Technology Co. (Shanghai), for its proprietary colloidal gold immunochromatography (Colloidal Gold) point-of-care IgM/IgM-based antibody test kits, and with 3DMedicine Science & Technology Co (3DMed), a China-based cancer precision medicine company, for distribution in the U.S. and Israel of its ANDiS® SARS-CoV-2 Detection Kit (COVID), ANDiS® SARS-CoV-2 & Influenza A/B Detection Kit (COVID/Flu) and its proprietary ANDiS®350 3DMed Automated Solution countertop real-time PCR machine (3D Machine). Todos has formed Corona Diagnostics, LLC, a joint venture with Emerald Organic Products, Inc. (OTC: EMOR), to support the commercialization of its COVID-19 testing paradigm.
For more information, please visit https://www.todosmedical.com/
Forward-looking Statements
Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements. For example, forward-looking statements are used when discussing our expected clinical development programs and clinical trials. These forward-looking statements are based only on current expectations of management, and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements, including the risks and uncertainties related to the progress, timing, cost, and results of clinical trials and product development programs; difficulties or delays in obtaining regulatory approval or patent protection for product candidates; competition from other biotechnology companies; and our ability to obtain additional funding required to conduct our research, development and commercialization activities. In addition, the following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements: changes in technology and market requirements; delays or obstacles in launching our clinical trials; changes in legislation; inability to timely develop and introduce new technologies, products and applications; lack of validation of our technology as we progress further and lack of acceptance of our methods by the scientific community; inability to retain or attract key employees whose knowledge is essential to the development of our products; unforeseen scientific difficulties that may develop with our process; greater cost of final product than anticipated; loss of market share and pressure on pricing resulting from competition; and laboratory results that do not translate to equally good results in real settings, all of which could cause the actual results or performance to differ materially from those contemplated in such forward-looking statements. Except as otherwise required by law, Todos Medical does not undertake any obligation to publicly release any revisions to these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. For a more detailed description of the risks and uncertainties affecting Todos Medical, please refer to its reports filed from time to time with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Investor and Corporate Contact:
Kim Sutton Golodetz
LHA Investor Relations
Senior Vice President
(212) 838-3777
kgolodetz@lhai.com
Corporate Contact:
Daniel Hirsch
Todos Medical
(347) 699-0029
Dan.h@todosmedical.com
