Consumer diagnostics platform company Sapphiros has signed a Covid-19 test distribution agreement with Cencora, which was formerly known as AmerisourceBergen Corporation.

Under the deal, Cencora will be responsible for distributing the Sapphiros’s GoToKnow Covid-19 Antigen Rapid Tests to pharmacies in the US.

Sapphiros expects the strategic partnership to improve accessibility and convenience for patients looking to purchase reliable Covid-19 testing solutions.

Authorised by the US Food and Drug Administration only for the detection of proteins from SARS-CoV-2, the GoToKnow rapid antigen test is developed to allow users to take tests at home.

It provides results in 15 minutes for the identification of the SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid protein antigen.

During the acute infection phase, this antigen is generally detectable in anterior nasal swab specimens.

Cencora will also have access to Sapphiros's future technologies, including additional rapid lateral flow tests for diseases beyond Covid-19, a fully disposable, low-cost multiplexed molecular diagnostics platform, and the Satio blood collection patch planned to be launched early next year.

Sapphiros CEO Mark Gladwell said: “This is a significant milestone for our company and further validates Sapphiros’s unique and transformational technologies.

“We are honoured to partner with Cencora to bring this product as well as future innovative product offerings directly to patients across the US enabling the consumer to directly access their diagnostic results and manage their health.”

Backed by KKR and Neoenta, Sapphiros has a portfolio of capabilities and technologies such as novel sample collection, next-generation diagnostics, computational biology, and printed electronics.