In an exemplary case of typical Israeli innovation and thinking “outside the box”, an Israeli firm dedicated primarily to research and development of fertilization and obstetrics analysis technology has developed an early-stage SARS diagnostic kit. The kit, the company claims, can curb the spread of SARS, because the earlier the virus is caught, the faster sufferers can be quarantined, thus protecting their surroundings.
The privately-held firm, BioShaf Ltd., headquartered near Haifa, recently completed Phase I trials of the new kit, which can detect the presence of the virus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) at an early stage of infection. The kits, at the end of trials carried out at the Disease Control Center in Beijing, were determined to have a 97.6% success rate in identifying SARS in blood samples from hundreds of patients. The test itself is fast, taking one hour, and apparently quite accurate.
BioShaf, founded in 1998, is likely to see its $2 million investment in developing the kit paying off in commercial development for South-East Asia.
The privately-held firm, BioShaf Ltd., headquartered near Haifa, recently completed Phase I trials of the new kit, which can detect the presence of the virus that causes Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) at an early stage of infection. The kits, at the end of trials carried out at the Disease Control Center in Beijing, were determined to have a 97.6% success rate in identifying SARS in blood samples from hundreds of patients. The test itself is fast, taking one hour, and apparently quite accurate.
BioShaf, founded in 1998, is likely to see its $2 million investment in developing the kit paying off in commercial development for South-East Asia.