In the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, Belgium and other countries in Europe and elsewhere are encountering a lack of available tests and are therefore unable to systematically screen patients and healthcare personnel. The Liège-based company Eurogentec is ready to supply reagents to carry out up to 5 million tests using the process developed by the University of Namur.
The method proposed by UNamur does away with the need for scarce reagents, but is more labour-intensive than the traditional screening technique.
The problem with the missing reagents is that they are packaged for use by dedicated machines, whose supply depends on manufacturers who are currently unable to deliver sufficient quantities," reports l'Echo. The UNamur protocol is based on the manual extraction of the virus's genetic code, which requires reagents that are similar but can be used manually by laboratory technicians.
The University of Namur turned to Eurogentec, which is located in the heart of the Sart-Tilman Science Park in Seraing. This CMO (contract manufacturing organisation) specialises in products and services in the fields of genomics and proteomics, as well as the production of bio-medicines and vaccines.
"Thanks to our site in Great Britain and the main site in Liège, we are able to supply doses of qPCR reagent for up to 5 million diagnostic tests in the coming weeks. This will depend on the number of tests to be carried out," said Lieven Janssens, CEO of Eurogentec.
Some 600 tests have already been performed at the University of Namur, and other centres are ready to follow.
"Thanks to our bio-production unit, it is very likely that we will soon also be involved in the development and production of vaccines for SARS-CoV-2 and other types of health scourges," added the management of Kaneka Eurogentec proudly.
Eurogentec, a spin-off of the University of Liège, was taken over in 2010 by the Japanese group Kaneka. In 2018, it invested €40 million to expand its facilities, also creating 40 new jobs.
Source : Eurogentec et l’Echo
