Sapphiros has announced a strategic supply and manufacturing option agreement with Roche, securing exclusive access to Sapphiros’ lateral flow technology manufacturing capacity, with the ability to produce at least 1 billion tests annually. The company’s UK-based reel-to-reel extreme-volume manufacturing process can scale up to 5 billion diagnostic tests per year, significantly boosting global preparedness for future health emergencies.
As part of the collaboration, Roche will also gain access to Sapphiros’ upcoming molecular multiplex technology, an instrument-free, connected platform designed to deliver affordable, lab-quality performance for point-of-care and home testing.
Mark Gladwell, CEO of Sapphiros, said:
“Since formation, Sapphiros has been committed to delivering innovations in diagnostics that enable global access and equitable health outcomes. Our unique reel-to-reel automated manufacturing capability together with our collective priority of long-term pandemic preparedness places both companies at the forefront playing a critical role in responding to future health emergencies.”
Commenting on the partnership’s public health significance, Ian Parfrement, Head of Near Patient Care at Roche Diagnostics, stated:
“The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the vital role of diagnostics in identifying infection earlier and more precisely to give the best chance of effective treatment. This collaboration is further evidence of the role Roche can play, as a partner to global public health bodies, in helping to reduce the spread of infectious disease in the event of a future pandemic.”
Sapphiros reiterated its commitment to simplifying and scaling diagnostic solutions, noting that the partnership will help governments, health systems, and communities strengthen pandemic preparedness through rapid and reliable testing.
