Malaysia-Made ProDetect® Test-Kit Able to Detect XBB Variant, Help Curb Spread of Infection

COVID-19 is still very much with us and cases are on the rise again across the country. The virus is also mutating again, with new Omicron sub-variants – XBB or BA.2.10 – now emerging. It is therefore even more important to use test kits that are able to detect these variants so that any infection can be identified early on and rapid measures taken to stop the spread.  

Working on the continued fight against COVID-19, Medical Innovation Ventures (Mediven®), has updated that its ProDetect® COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test, manufactured in Malaysia, is able to detect this new COVID-19 XBB subvariant. 

ProDetect® COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test

Dr Lim Li Sze, Operations Director of Mediven®, said “We have a team of scientists who constantly monitor the mutation of the virus to make sure that our test kits remain relevant. Our team stays up-to-date with constant testing and upgrading to ensure we maintain the highest standards of quality and accuracy.” 

Mediven® offers two ranges of ProDetect® test kits for the detection of COVID-19. The self-test kits can be used on either saliva or nasal samples. The professional range uses either oral fluid or nasopharyngeal swabs.  All ProDetect test kits provide test results within 20 minutes and are able to screen for all variants of concern (VOC), including Delta and Omicron. Results from third party evaluation have shown high concordance (100%) with Real-Time PCR result.  

Mr Ariff Ismail, Executive Director of Mediven® added, “As the world opens up and recovers from two years of lockdowns, vigilance is critical in ensuring the well-being of humanity. Our deep diagnostics expertise provides healthcare professionals the tools they need to stay ahead of this virus.”  

Izad Sallehuddin of OMESTI Healthcare, one of Mediven’s partners in the sales and distribution of the ProDetect® Test kits, added, “Because of the nature of this COVID-19 virus and its ability to mutate, as is the case with most viruses, it’s good that the scientists at Mediven® have been able to confirm that the ProDetect® kits are able to accurately detect the new BA.2.10 variant. This will help reassure the public significantly, giving them confidence that these test kits with their high level of accuracy will help in the battle to curb the spread of any infection.” 

The ProDetect® self-test kits are available at all major pharmacies, such as Be Pharmacy, Caring Pharmacy, AMPM Pharmacy, Wellings Pharmacy, Georgetown Pharmacy and all 7-11 outlets through the country. The ProDetect® Test Kits are also used by all government clinics and hospitals throughout the country. 

Mediven® also recently partnered with MyDocLabTM to launch a healthcare platform to enable schools, corporates, and individuals to manage their employees and self-health status in an effective and simple manner. The platform empowers users to have management of their clinical test reports to enable easy self-tracking and consultation with healthcare practitioners.  

About Mediven® 

Headquartered in Penang, Malaysia, Medical Innovation Ventures Sdn. Bhd. (Mediven®) is a healthtech company which develops, manufactures, distributes and markets innovative high quality healthcare solutions. The Mediven® manufacturing plant is certified to ISO13485. The company is actively participating in international External Quality Assessment (EQA) and Proficiency Testing (PT) organised by independent bodies from United Kingdom, Australia and Germany to continuously assure quality in its suite of products.  https://mediven.com.my/