IgG/IgM Antibody-test Kit for COVID-19 launched in Japan

OSAKA, Japan, June, 3, 2020 - Shionogi & Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Osaka, Japan; President and CEO: Isao Teshirogi, Ph.D. ; hereafter "Shionogi") today announced that Shionogi launched IgG/IgM Antibody-test Kit for COVID-19 as a research reagent in Japan.

Shionogi had entered into an agreement with Micro Blood Science Inc., the licensor of the kit. We have been working to collect clinical data for the purpose of confirming the usefulness of the kit for its practical use in Japan, as well as examining its indications and use methods. After evaluating the result of the test in cooperation with medical institutions, the test kit was not used as a diagnostic test for COVID-19 or as a Pre-PCR screening test, but was considered useful for epidemiological surveillance and studies of SARS-CoV-2/COVID-19 aiming to determine the number of individuals previously infected with SARS-CoV-2.

Shionogi is committed to “Protect people worldwide from the threat of infectious diseases” as our key focus. We are not limiting ourselves to the research and development of therapeutic medications, but are also focused on the total care of infectious disease through awareness building, prevention and diagnosis and suppression of exacerbation. To contribute the restoration of social security and safety through the early end of the pandemic, Shionogi will provide this test kit to medical insutitute,testing facilities, resarch laboratories, and local authorities, companies, and so on the premise that it will be used under the judgement of physicians.