CAMBRIDGE, MASS & MANILA, PHILIPPINES & LONDON-- June 10, 2021 -- Safeguard DNA Diagnostics Inc, SDDI, one of the largest chains of infectious disease laboratories in the Philippines, has introduced COVID sample collection using the Rhinosticsᵗᵐ dry nasal and nasopharyngeal collection swabs. The dry swabs are being introduced at its facilities in Metro Manila, Davao and Negros Occidental. In addition, SDDI will act as the exclusive distributor of Rhinostics in the Philippines.

Rhinostics Inc. is a Harvard University spinout company launched to bring new materials and designs for improved sample collection for COVID and broader non-COVID respiratory testing. The Rhinosticsᵗᵐ swabs received a U.S. Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for COVID sample collection. These swabs allow more comfortable collection, dry shipment and transport without viral transport media.

Paul Jochico, co-Founder and Director of Safeguard DNA Diagnostics, Inc. commented, “We are excited to bring the Rhinostics’ innovative sample collection swabs to the Philippines, to offer our people a more comfortable collection combined with strong assay performance. The dry swabs are more robust and offer lower risk for contamination during collection and transport than VTM and saliva collection devices. Continued COVID testing will help keep more people safe until vaccinations can become widespread in the Philippines.”

George Aaron, CEO and Chairman of Safeguard Biosystems Holdings Ltd, the joint venture partner in SDDI, remarked, “The opportunity to repurpose our molecular microbiology laboratory in Manila provided significant benefits to the people of the Philippines during this unfortunate pandemic. Safeguard remains committed to bringing innovative products for the diagnosis of infectious disease into SDDI’s operations.”

“We could not ask for a better partner to implement our collection swab technology in the Philippines, bringing the newest technology for dry collection, transport and assay performance to the country. SDDI remains an innovator in the diagnostics space in the Philippines, bringing newest technologies to market,” said Cheri Walker, Chief Executive Officer of Rhinostics.