Meet Ashley Uys, The Scientist Behind Africa’s First Covid-19 Antigen Test

Medical Diagnostech managing director Ashley Uys / SAHPRA. Africa and the African continent is beamimg with pride after the announcement tha...

Medical Diagnostech managing director Ashley Uys / SAHPRA.

Africa and the African continent is beamimg with pride after the announcement that the first African-based COVID-19 antigen testing kit has not only been approved by the South African Health Products Regulatory Authority (SAHPRA) for the product’s distribution.

The company also developed home testing kits, with those being tested only needing to swab the front of their noses and busy developing an app for smartphones to interpret results from the testing device. However, they are still awaiting approval from the government to make this home test kit available to all. Ashley Uys, a 39-year-old from Belhar is the founder of the company Medical Diagnostech, established in 2010 as a biotech developer and manufacturer of lateral flow rapid diagnostic test kits

The photo of Ashley Uys, the South African biotechnologist and managing director of Medical Diagnostech company.

Uys and his team of 9 others, which consist of six scientists and four technicians, worked painstakingly on the project of the rapid test development for 18 months working on the antigen testing kits which have been authorised for sale now.  The antigen test will tell you if have had Covid-19 and offers results within 15 minutes. Uys says the rapid test will cost between R30 to R50, compared to other tests in the market which cost from R185 o R350. 

The CEO, pleaded with retailers not to add major mark-ups on the rapid test kit, officially known as the MD SARS-nCoV-2 Antigen Device. The tests will mean that South Africa and many countries in our greater region and continent will no longer need to rely on imports of rapid antigen testing kits. A PCR test, which does remain the “gold standard” for COVID-19 testing, only reflects results in 48-hours. 

The cost of the tests will offer further accessibility of the lower-income communities.  “We will now be the first African manufacturers of this antigen test,” Uys noted that everything in the market currently is not from Africa. It’s also a proud moment for Africa. As Uys notes indicating that there are African solutions for problems that impact Africa. 

Covid-19 Antigen Test / Gilead Sciences.

Additionally, as the requirement of COVID-19 tests results have become paramount for many events, the rapid antigen testing kit will help in saving time and easing backlog congestion that an increase in the volume of COVID-19 test results perpetuate. During the chat with Uys, he informed Science Techniz he says the cost is a big factor for people who want to be tested for Covid-19. "Not everybody cannot afford it... I advocate for cheaper testing, I definitely do" We are looking at a total solution that is cost-effective. 

We have African solutions for African problems

We cannot rely on western countries and import products all the time. That is the reason why we as Medical Diagnostech took the stance to bring competion to the market pricing. We know that the costing in the market at the moment can range anywhere from R185 but if you distribute the product, distributors in the market are selling it for about R80 but we are actually offering it to the market at a lower price.

Dr Michelle Mulder, Executive Director for Grants Innovation and Product Development at the South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC) welcomed the announcement. “This investment from the SAMRC, the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the Technology Innovation Agency (TIA) has enabled the final product development steps required to deliver an approved antigen detection test for COVID-19 that meets the minimum globally accepted performance criteria for such tests. 

"The local ownership and manufacture of these test kits will not only increase South Africa's self-sufficiency in a time of high demand, but also contribute to reducing the trade imbalance with respect to medical devices and local economic development and job creation,” Dr. Michelle said. DIS Director-General, Dr Phil Mjwara said the latest development further expanded South Africa's ability to respond to Covid-19. 

“Not only has the DSI supported the development of a capability to locally produce the reagents for PCR tests by start-up company CapeBio, but the Department, together with the SAMRC, believed that with the necessary funding it was possible to locally develop rapid tests for the detection of active Covid-19,” he said. Mjwara said the vision and investment had paid off with Medical Diagnostech’s Covid-19 antigen test, which lowers the cost of testing active infections.

"This technology not only benefits the country, but will also be made available to the rest of Africa," Mjwara said. TIA’s head of health programme, Osmond Muroyiwa said the organisation was living by its mantra that innovation must answer the challenges of the day. “We are living in a moment where science has to provide answers in tracking an invisible enemy that has ravaged societies and economies globally. 

"The ability to produce test kits locally is testimony to the great scientists and innovators we have, who with the right support can help save lives, reduce imports, create jobs, and ultimately improve the quality of life of all South Africans," Muroyiwa concluded.