Polish innovation nature has brought its fruits. The MediPAN-2G + FAST COVID kit, in constant improvement since March, is today the fastest and one of the most sensitive diagnostic tests for SARS-CoV-2 virus available on the market. I am glad that the works of Poznań scientists, which have been financially and organisationally supported by the Polish government, have been so successful. The success consisting in the rapid placing on the market the Polish test for SARS-CoV-2 would not be possible without the involvement of Polish scientists, but also Polish innovative companies and state institutions, combined with the rapid support of the government. This clearly proves the effectiveness of cooperation based on the principles of a team game, in which everyone is focused on achieving a common goal. By acting together and breaking the curse of the silo mentality, we can achieve more and face challenges more effectively in times of crisis. Thanks to the launch of the production of the Polish test for SARS-CoV-2, which is based on Polish reagents only, we have just gained independence and safety in terms of the availability of tests, which is a matter of great importance for our ability to control the epidemic – notes Jarosław Gowin, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economic Development, Labour and Technology.

The initial period of the COVID-19 pandemic showed how important it is to become independent from foreign supplies in terms of medical protection for Poles. Thanks to the huge mobilisation of scientists, cooperation with business and government aid, the final version of the first Polish genetic test has just been launched on the market to ensure Poland’s independence. Introduced into laboratories, it could optimize their efficiency, and thus shorten the patient’s waiting time for the result. The kit received positive opinion of the National Institute of Public Health – National Institute of Hygiene. The development of the first Polish test is a model example of cooperation between a research unit and Polish companies – Medicofarma, Polpharma, Future Synthesis and A&A Biotechnology were involved in creating the test, the process of its production and final launching to the market.

History of the project

A group of volunteer scientists from the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Poznań, in response to problems with access to coronavirus tests, began intensive work on the creation of a proprietary genetic test in spring 2020. Its creation is not only a scientific achievement, but an extraordinary organizational achievement, taking into consideration the freezing of many areas of economy. Thanks to the established cooperation with Polish companies, it was possible proceed in the next few months with the project realisation from the creation stage, through process evaluation and optimization, up to mass production. The involvement of domestic companies and the use of reagents available in Poland made it possible to reduce the price of a single test and to secure the needs of the society in the event of another wave of pandemic. The project received financial support in the amount of 15 million zlotys from the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and 100,000 zlotys from the self-government of the Greater Poland Voivodeship.

Launching the test on the market is not only a scientific success but also the result of great cooperation. It is also a spectacular example that the cooperation of scientists, business, government and local government can bring about a synergy effect that cannot be achieved alone. At this moment, difficult for everyone, it was natural for our Institute to initiate work on the test. We knew that we had the knowledge, competence and technical background to develop a product that would match or exceed the quality of tests available on the market. However, already during the preliminary work, we realised that we have no partner who would help us bring the product to the market. Today, we can definitely say that without the production facilities and business competences of Polish companies – Medicofarma, Polpharma, Future Synthesis and A&A Biotechnology – the test verification process would take much longer. As a result, the test could never end up in the hands of diagnosticians – concludes prof. Marek Figlerowicz, director of the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

The fastest test on the Polish market

The final version of the MediPAN-2G + FAST COVID genetic test is designed to detect two specific genes of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus. Its effectiveness has been confirmed in independent laboratories with the use of various diagnostic devices.

What makes this test different?

• Speed – it is the fastest test currently available on the Polish market. The short time of RT-PCR reaction (about 1 hour) can significantly translate into the efficiency of the work of laboratories (it reduces the detection time by half), and thus – ensures faster availability of the result for the patient.
• High sensitivity of virus detection reactions (> 99%).
• Specificity – the test detects both genes specific for SARS-CoV-2, which is an advantage over tests in which one of the detected genes is the screening gene, characteristic for the entire coronavirus family.

Independence of the Polish system

The development of the first Polish test is a model example of cooperation between a research unit, entrepreneurs and the government. This cooperation resulted in the creation of a commercialised biotechnological product, ready to be used in the health care sector.

Therefore, we face a chance for Poland to become independent of the import of foreign tests and components necessary for their production, and thus – to ensure universal availability of diagnostic tests for COVID-19, which is particularly important in the context of the worldwide increase in the number of patients and the possibility of re-closing the borders.

It is a great success of young researchers who initially worked on the development of the test within volunteering, but also the success of the idea of building close relations between science and business for the development of Polish innovation.

The test prototype was designed and made at the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Poznań. Medicofarma was responsible for the transfer of the product from the laboratory scale to production scale and its comprehensive manufacturing. On what concerns Polpharma, it supported the work on transforming the prototype into a commercially optimal product, so that it would have the desired features and could be transferred from the laboratory to mass production.