Corona rapid test from GNA Biosolutions approved

The Bavarian start-up's rapid test should provide a result in less than an hour.

The Federal Institute for Drugs and Medical Devices (BfArM) has granted special approval for the rapid coronavirus test from Bavarian start-up GNA Biosolutions, which specializes in molecular diagnostics. The test is said to deliver the correct result in 96.7 percent of cases and only takes 40 minutes. Another advantage: according to the manufacturer, decentralized laboratories are sufficient.

Unlike the most commonly used rapid antigen tests, the test from GNA Biosolutions is based on the PCR test and therefore delivers more accurate results. The start-up uses Pulse Controlled Amplification (PCA®) technology, a new approach to the polymerase chain reaction (PCR), the global standard for molecular COVID-19 tests.

"We are aiming for CE marking in the first quarter of 2021 so that we can make our technology available throughout Europe," says CEO and co-founder Dr. Federico Buersgens. The start-up from Martinsried near Munich received funding from the Bavarian Ministry of Economic Affairs for its development. More than 500,000 tests are now to be produced.