The headline has been corrected to say that the test is over the counter.
NEW YORK — Diagnostics startup Sapphiros said on Monday that it has received $11.1 million from the US National Institutes of Health to develop an over-the-counter multiplex assay for the rapid detection of respiratory syncytial virus, influenza A and B, and COVID-19.
The funding was provided through the NIH's Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics, or RADx, program, which was launched in early 2020 to accelerate the development and commercialization of testing technologies for COVID-19.
According to Sapphiros, the test combines isothermal molecular chemistries and proprietary high-volume, reel-to-reel conductive ink, printed electronics, and sensing technologies.
Sapphiros was formed in mid-2021 by investment firm KKR to invest in growth-stage diagnostic companies in partnership with industry veteran Namal Nawana. At the time, the Boston-based company said it was buying UK-based point-of-care molecular diagnostics firm Biocrucible and that it had taken an undisclosed stake in consumer diagnostics developer GrapheneDx.