The Illinois Life Sciences Community is leading the charge in the fight against COVID-19. iBIO members have stepped up to develop potential therapeutics and diagnostics for the disease. To stay up-to-date on our members current efforts and the progression of clinical trials, check out iBIO’s Coronavirus Resource Center.
iBIO has been working closely with our regional, state and federal public health partners to monitor and respond to available information regarding the outbreak of COVID-19.
In an effort to support the continued fight against Coronavirus, we are creating a catalog of community resources. Specifically we are looking for companies and labs who can help advance testing capabilities.
Access to widespread testing has lagged behind; according to statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, testing at public health laboratories passed over 4,000 specimens per day for the past week.
The FDA opened up testing to certain CLIA-certified, “high complexity” laboratories, allowing them to proceed with their own validated diagnostics prior to FDA review—and later expanded that policy to commercial developers, provided they both submit applications for emergency test authorizations within 15 days of use. The agency also delegated oversight authority to state health departments, allowing them to review and approve COVID-19 tests directly.
During this unprecedented time, the resources and leadership in our community are needed to address this public health crisis. Please contact me at [email protected], if you are able to join in a community effort to help advance testing capabilities.