SOUTHEAST ASIA’S LARGEST PRIVATE HEALTHCARE PROVIDER PARKWAY PANTAI INSTALLS AUTOMATED LAB SYSTEM FOR DIRECT MULTIPLEX RT-PCR COVID-19 TEST

Singapore, Oct. 19, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --

  • PARKWAYHEALTH LABORATORY IS THE FIRST LABORATORY TO USE THE RAVE AUTOMATED LAB SYSTEM, ADDING THROUGHPUT CAPACITY OF 4,000 SAMPLES A DAY WITH INDUSTRY-LEADING TURNAROUND TIME.
  • ADVANCED MEDTECH’S RESOLUTE 2.0 IS A DIRECT MULTIPLEX RT-PCR COVID-19 DIAGNOSTIC TEST THAT CUTS DOWN TEST DELIVERY TIME BY HALF WHEN COMPARED TO OTHER APPROVED RT-PCR TESTS. 

Singapore, 20 October 2020 – Advanced MedTech Holdings (AMTH), a global medical technology leader, announced today the installation of the Rapid Automated Volume Enhancer (RAVE) robotics laboratory system in ParkwayHealth Laboratory. Utilising just two RAVE systems optimised for use with AMTH’s RESOLUTE 2.0 RT-PCR test for SARS-CoV-2, ParkwayHealth Laboratory can now process an additional 4,000 diagnostics tests per day in Singapore.

Distributed by AMTH, the made-in-Singapore RAVE system minimises the manual steps in the preparation of a test assay, shortening the time to results. RAVE was designed and co-developed by the Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre (ARTC), and the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), as well as the national platform Diagnostics Development (DxD) Hub. ARTC partner and local SME Sankei Eagle is the first local systems integrator for RAVE.

The RESOLUTE 2.0 diagnostic test is an industry-first direct multiplex RT-PCR COVID-19 test kit co-developed by A*STAR and DSO National Laboratories, manufactured and distributed by AMTH.

ParkwayHealth Laboratory has laboratories on the premises of Gleneagles, Mount Elizabeth, Mount Elizabeth Novena and Parkway East, the four private hospitals owned by Parkway Pantai, and a reference laboratory and headquarters located in Aljunied. ParkwayHealth Laboratory was the first private laboratory in Singapore to be approved by the Ministry of Health to run SARS-CoV-2 PCR tests for COVID-19 testing.   

Abel Ang, Group Chief Executive of Advanced MedTech, said: “To achieve any semblance of normality when it comes to borders slowly re-opening, we need to ensure that we are building capacity in testing capabilities – through highly accurate test kits and efficiency-enhancing testing automation. It is mission critical while we wait for progress on vaccines, in particular. We are proud to partner with ParkwayHealth Laboratory on our RESOLUTE-RAVE combination, together we are significantly increasing the number of tests for SARS-CoV-2 that can be run in a day in Singapore.”

Dr Daniel Tan, CEO of ParkwayHealth Laboratory, said: “There is no question that testing has been and continues to be an important tool in containing the spread of COVID-19 in Singapore. As we await the third phase of reopening in Singapore, we are working with key partners who can help us deliver on identifying, diagnosing and informing treatment plans rapidly. We believe the speed and accuracy of combining RAVE and Advanced MedTech’s RESOLUTE 2.0 tests will put us in a strong position to achieve a high throughput of tests and keep those in our community safe.”

Mr Frederick Chew, Chief Executive Officer, A*STAR, said: “I am heartened to see how public sector technologies have been transferred successfully to local companies and hospitals to address Singapore’s COVID-19 public health needs. The development of RESOLUTE and RAVE illustrates the cross-cutting capabilities of our R&D ecosystem, and impactful outcomes from Singapore’s steady investments in health and biomedical sciences, as well as Industry 4.0 technologies”

About Advanced MedTech Holdings

Advanced MedTech Holdings is a global medical technology leader with a core focus in urology devices and services. Headquartered in Singapore, with operations in US, Germany, Spain, France, Italy, China, Malaysia and Japan, the Company serves millions of patients and physicians in 100 countries worldwide. Advanced MedTech Holdings makes strategic investments in disruptive medical technology companies, strengthening its portfolio of healthcare solutions for customers around the world. Advanced MedTech Holdings is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Temasek. For more information on Advanced MedTech Holdings, please visit https://www.advanced-medtech.com/.

About Parkway Pantai

Parkway Pantai is one of Asia’s largest integrated private healthcare providers operating in Malaysia, Singapore, India, Greater China and Brunei. For over 40 years, its Mount Elizabeth, Gleneagles, Pantai, Parkway and Ageas brands have established themselves as the region’s best known brands in private healthcare, synonymous with best-in-class patient experience and outcomes. Leveraging its global track record for medical excellence and managing world-class hospitals, Parkway Pantai is committed to making a difference in people’s lives through excellent patient care, steadily expanding its reach in markets where demand for quality care is strong and growing. Parkway Pantai is a leading healthcare player in its home markets of Malaysia, Singapore and India and key growth markets of China and Hong Kong. It is part of IHH Healthcare, one of the world’s largest healthcare groups by market capitalisation. IHH operates more than 15,000 licensed beds across 78 hospitals in 10 countries worldwide, offering the full spectrum of integrated healthcare services from clinics to hospitals to quaternary care and a wide range of ancillary services including medical education. For more information, please visit www.parkwaypantai.com.  

About the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR)

The Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) is Singapore's lead public sector R&D agency. Through open innovation, we collaborate with our partners in both the public and private sectors to benefit the economy and society. As a Science and Technology Organisation, A*STAR bridges the gap between academia and industry. Our research creates economic growth and jobs for Singapore, and enhances lives by improving societal outcomes in healthcare, urban living, and sustainability.  A*STAR plays a key role in nurturing scientific talent and leaders for the wider research community and industry. A*STAR’s R&D activities span biomedical sciences to physical sciences and engineering, with research entities primarily located in Biopolis and Fusionopolis. For ongoing news, visit www.a-star.edu.sg.

About RESOLUTE 2.0

RESOLUTE 2.0, an industry-first SARS-CoV-2 direct multiplex Reverse-Transcription Polymerase-Chain-Reaction (RT-PCR) assay kit co-developed by Singapore’s Agency for Science Technology and Research (A*STAR) and DSO National Laboratories (DSO), has been made available for clinical use in Singapore by Advanced MedTech Holdings (AMTH), a global medical technology leader. RESOLUTE 2.0 eliminates the need for extraction of viral RNA from patient test samples, thus minimising potential human errors and halving the test delivery time when compared to other approved RT-PCR kits which are considered the gold standard in SARS-CoV-2 detection. A multiplex RT-PCR, RESOLUTE 2.0 also allows for simultaneous detection of multiple SARS-CoV-2 targets and human control target in one single reaction. For more information on the RESOLUTE 2.0 test, please visit www.advancedcovidtest.com

About RAVE

The Rapid Automated Volume Enhancer (RAVE) laboratory automation system was co-developed by A*STAR’s Advanced Remanufacturing and Technology Centre (ARTC), the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) and DxD Hub. It has been optimised for use with the RESOLUTE 2.0 diagnostic test.

Advanced MedTech Media Contacts:

Weikang Lee

Advanced MedTech Holdings

+65 6572 6074

weikang.lee@advanced-medtech.com

Emma Thompson /Thomas Harding / Maryanne Lee

Spurwing Communications

+65 6751 2021

advanced@spurwingcomms.com