Everlywell signs distribution agreement with Ginkgo Bioworks
Everlywell will distribute FDA-authorized rapid antigen testing for organizations and public health agencies
AUSTIN, Tx.—Everlywell has announced an agreement with Ginkgo Bioworks to distribute Access Bio’s FDA-authorized CareStart COVID-19 antigen test to workplaces, clinics, schools, government offices, and health plans. This agreement will enable Everlywell to distribute the rapid antigen test to organizations in need of COVID-19 diagnostics, in its COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit.
The CareStart COVID-19 IgM/IgG test is a rapid SARS CoV-2 lateral flow immunochromatographic assay, which is designed to indicate past exposure to, and infection by, SARS-CoV-2. Access Bio’s serology test detects and differentiates IgM and IgG antibodies in human blood specimens with combined 98.4% sensitivity and 98.9% specificity. Healthcare providers using the test only require about 10 uL of whole blood via a finger lancet, and the test can also be used with serum or plasma.
Following the FDA’s authorization for Everlywell’s COVID-19 Test Home Collection Kit in May, the company’s enterprise line of business has supplied COVID-19 testing to over 250 organizations, including some of the largest health plans in the nation. Everlywell has also unveiled new digital tools to help organizations stay safe and compliant, along with new features for its reporting platform, Everlywell Lens, which debuted earlier in 2020.
In December, Everlywell also reported an oversubscribed Series D financing of $175 million. This investment brings the total capital raised by the company to over $250 million to date, which includes a Series C round led by Highland Capital Partners earlier in 2020.
“The pandemic has shed light on the challenges of lab testing for Americans, from unknown costs to confusion and inconvenience. We’ve been empowering people with a new way to get tested for five years and will continue to lead the way in a rapidly expanding space,” stated Julia Cheek, founder and CEO of Everlywell, in a press release. “We believe lab testing will be rapid, simple, and coupled with virtual care in the near future. This partnership with additional world-class investors enables us to build a transformative, multi-generational digital health company that puts people first, where they belong.”
The company plans to use the funds to expand its virtual care offerings, scale its testing and infrastructure, drive clinical research and disease management through testing, and grow its national leadership position in the at-home testing market.
