Abu Dhabi’s G42 Healthcare has teamed up with the South Korean biotechnology company, Seegene to offer mobile laboratory stations across the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region.

Dubbed a “laboratory on wheels”, the Seegene Mobile Station can offer optimised molecular testing and diagnosis on the go, with the reported ability to conduct up to 2,000 tests per day. Tests cover 225 pathogens in 10 different criteria, and offers a streamlined automated work­flow “from pre-extraction to data analysis.”

The mobile stations will be made available in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Morocco, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Palestine, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Kuwait, Qatar, Oman, Bahrain, and Yemen. It will also be launching outside of the region in Pakistan, G42 confirmed.

“Seegene is excited to be working with G42 Healthcare and contributing to the development of innovative solutions, [bringing a] healthy life for everyone by creating a new diagnostic paradigm,” said James Park, Executive Director at Seegene on the sidelines of Medlab Middle East 2021. “With this collaboration, we will join forces to serve the local communities with our expertise and resources. 

“The Seegene Mobile Station will offer the most innovative mobile molecular diagnostic, testing and laboratory services and is part of our commitment to supporting the healthcare community in combating COVID-19 infections, with a broad portfolio of research and development tools and diagnostics.”

He added: “The mobile station will significantly contribute to the mitigation efforts as it will help governments control areas where epidemics spread easily, and to place the laboratory near crowded places, such as community events.”

THE LARGER CONTEXT

Featuring an equipment room, and an extraction room with a biosafety level-2 (BSL-2) laboratory, the Seegene Mobile Station reportedly offers automated testing with “minimum supervision.” It comes with essential equipment, such as RT-PCR reagents, consumables, IT solution with Seegene Viewer, and technical support for diagnostic testing.

The station can be transported via ship or lorry, and is fully operational “within days” of arrival.

ON THE RECORD

“We are proud to enter into a collaboration with Seegene which offers equitable access to healthcare anywhere in the Pan-Arab region. This is part of our joint efforts with international organisations to share our knowledge and expertise to future proof the health of nations,” said G42 Healthcare CEO, Ashish Koshy. “Our commitment is to uphold patient health and reinforce our credentials as a transformation enabler in healthcare for the good of all humanity. 

“The mobile testing services will further augment our business portfolio across the MENA region and help in reaching out to various markets, ensuring swift detection, and allowing patients to benefit from the most informed decision possible, regardless of the location.”