Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, July 19) — The test kits for COVID-19 detection developed by the University of the Philippines are now ready for commercial use, the Department of Health (DOH) said Sunday.
The GenAmplify reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction RT-PCR test kit was invented by a team of scientists from the National Institutes of Health of the University of the Philippines, the Philippine Genome Center, and The Manila HealthTek, Inc.
It received its certificate of product registration in April but was recalled in May due to “minor problems.”
“After several months of collaboration, we are very proud to say, GenAmplify version 2, the country’s very own RT-PCR test kit, is finally ready for commercial use,” the DOH said in a statement.
The agency added that it will regularly monitor the performance of the said kit.
It also expressed gratitude to the Manila Health Tek team for working closely with the independent laboratory expert panel in addressing key issues of the first version of GenAmplify.
“We, at the DOH and DOST-PCHRD (Department of Science and Technology-Philippine Council for Health Research and Development) are proud of our homegrown scientists who continue to use their talent to benefit not only the Filipino people but the rest of humanity as well,” it said.
The Philippines currently has over 67,000 confirmed coronavirus cases, with around 22,000 recoveries and 1,800 deaths.
