#Shionogi to tie up with universities on #coronavirus test method

Japanese pharmaceutical company Shionogi & Co. said Monday that it will collaborate with universities in the country to put into practical use a new testing method for the novel coronavirus.
The company will use a method developed by Nihon University, Gunma University and Tokyo Medical University that can detect the virus from saliva samples in around 25 minutes.
The new method is seen being used for diagnosing patients at medical institutions and for screening visitors from overseas.
In the "SATIC method," developed by the three universities, saliva samples are heated at 95 degrees Celsius for roughly two minutes and added to a reagent. The test can be done without a detector, and has a high sensitivity, equivalent to that of polymerase chain reaction, or PCR, tests, according to Shionogi.
Shionogi has released a coronavirus antibody detection kit for use at research institutions. It is also developing vaccines and remedies for the virus, hoping to begin clinical trials soon.