Technology developed by consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble Co., which owns Boston-based razor maker Gillette, will allow for at-home testing for the virus that causes Covid-19.
Cincinnati-based P&G (NYSE: PG) is licensing a new nasal swab that was developed by its Personal Health Care business alongside subsidiary iMFLUX to Cambridge-based Rhinostics, which will bring the technology to market.
According to Rhinostics, the design of the swab and its polypropylene construction enables sample concentrations of up to 30-times that of other swabs. The swab's design makes it useful for both PCR and antigen-based testing.
PCR testing is considered the gold standard of testing for SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19, and detects the RNA or genetic material of the virus, even in people with no symptoms. The drawback of that type of testing is it can take up to three days to turn around, though some can offer results in as little as 24 hours.
Antigen testing is often referred to as "rapid testing" and offers quick results. The test is most accurate in patients who show symptoms of Covid-19, but the results are not always accurate.
According to instructions on Rhinostics' website, a person using the swab should insert the tip into the back of the nostril, rotate it around three times while making firm contact with the nostril wall, slide the swab up and down against the inside of the nose and then hold it against the nostril wall for 10 seconds. That process should be repeated in both nostrils using the same swab.
After testing, the swab is screwed into a secure transport tube and sealed inside of a specimen bag, which is shipped to a laboratory for testing.
Unlike conventional sample collection for PCR testing, the swab does not need to be shoved far back into the nostril.
Rhinostics plans to register the P&G polypropylene nasal swab as a Class 1 Exempt medical device and pursue emergency use authorization for home collection for PCR testing. A Rhinostics spokesperson said that the firm plans to file its emergency use authorization in March, and the price of the test would be determined by individual laboratories.
Rhinostics claims that the swabs can increase laboratory sample testing throughput by 10 times.
The swabs also have the potential to be used for future testing needs, such as for influenza.
The swabs were developed by P&G and its subsidiary iMFLUX, which focuses on plastic injection molding design.
Procter & Gamble is the creator and manufacturer of consumer brands like Always, Ariel, Bounty, Charmin, Dawn, Downy, Febreze, Head & Shoulders, Olay, Pampers and Tide.
Total Mass. employees
| Rank | Prior Rank | Company/Prior rank (*unranked in 2019)/ |
|---|---|---|
1 | 1 | Mass General Brigham |
2 | 2 | Beth Israel Lahey Health |
3 | 3 | University of Massachusetts |
