Response to new COVID strain

genedrive plc

("genedrive" or the "Company")

Response to new COVID strain

Genedrive 96 SARS CoV-2 Kit able to detect all published virus strains

Genedrive plc (AIM: GDR), the near patient molecular diagnostics company, confirms that its Genedrive 96 SARS CoV-2 Kit continues to detect all known variants of COVID-19, including the newest variants released by the UK's COVID-19 Genomics UK Consortium.

The Genedrive 96 SARS-CoV-2 Kit is designed to target both the E and N genes of SARS-CoV-2. The new variant involves a mutation in the highly mutagenic S gene, which encodes spike proteins, and is not one the Company rely on for detection of the virus.

David Budd, CEO of genedrive plc said: "We have carried out detailed in silico analysis of 155,276 sequences on the GISAID database. The results show that the test is able to detect all published COVID-19 strains with the same high level of accuracy and demonstrates 100% homology."

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About genedrive plc (http://www.genedriveplc.com)

genedrive plc is a molecular diagnostics company developing and commercialising a low cost, rapid, versatile, simple to use and robust point of need molecular diagnostics platform for the diagnosis of infectious diseases and for use in patient stratification (genotyping), pathogen detection and other indications. The Company has assays on market for the detection of HCV, certain military biological targets, and has tests in development for tuberculosis (mTB). The Company recently released a high throughput SARS-CoV-2 assay and has in development a Genedrive® Point of Care version of the assay, both based on Genedrive® chemistry.