Advanced MedTech Holdings (AMTH), a global medical technology leader, has co-founded a Singapore-based venture, AbAsia Biolabs, with Professor Sir David Lane, former Chief Scientist at A*STAR and Professor Birgit Lane, former Executive Director at the Institute of Medical Biology (IMB) and Skin Research Institute of Singapore (SRIS).

As COVID-19 testing becomes part of Singapore’s new normal, locally-based AbAsia is poised to ensure Singapore has a consistent supply of critical reagents to make COVID-19 test kits. This will help the country meet the growing demand for COVID-19 in-vitro diagnostic kits and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test kits. The company’s high-quality, reliable and accessible reagents will also be used to drive advances in R&D in biotechnology and cancer research in the future.

Local production of reagents will ensure that Singapore’s reagent supplies are sheltered from any supply and logistical disruptions arising from international supply chain breakdowns. Shipping and storage of protein-based reagents rely on strict temperature controls of between -20°C and -80°C.

COVID-19 vaccines compete with reagents for temperature-controlled delivery capacity. Local production of these reagents in Singapore will shelter Singapore from any raw material shortages that could affect Singapore’s testing ambitions and goal to reopen the economy.