Covid-19 Antigen Test Kit Using Cellulose Nanobeads Launched in the U.S.

Test Kit Covid-19 Antigen Test Kit Using Cellulose Nanobeads Launched in the U.S.

2026-08-02 Source: Press release Asahi Kasei 2 min Reading Time

Related Vendor

Access Bio has developed the Carestart Covid-19 antigen test kit which makes use of Asahi Kasei’s Nanoact cellulose nanobeads. The test kit has been launched in the USA after receiving Emergency Use Authorization from the U.S. FDA.

Nanoact colored cellulose nanobeads were developed by Asahi Kasei by utilizing its core technology of cellulose processing. (Source: Asahi Kasei) — Nanoact colored cellulose nanobeads were developed by Asahi Kasei by utilizing its core technology of cellulose processing.
(Source: Asahi Kasei)

Carestart Covid-19 Antigen test kit developed by Access Bio using Asahi Kasei’s Nanoact cellulose nanobeads, received Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and its sale in the U.S. has begun.

Nanoact colored cellulose nanobeads were developed by Asahi Kasei by utilizing its core technology of cellulose processing. They are currently used as labels for lateral flow immunochromatographic assays, mainly for influenza, shares the company.

Nanoact was adopted by Access Bio for use in Carestart Covid-19 Ag as it is available in a wide range of colors and enables better visibility of test lines, which improves usability.

The continuing spread of Covid-19 has raised the importance of rapid screening. Demand for rapid test kits is rising because unlike polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests, they require no special equipment, mentions the firm. Access Bio, the world’s leading manufacturer of rapid test kits for malaria, developed Carestart Covid-19 Ag to rapidly detect antigens of SARS-Cov-2, the virus which causes Covid-19. Clinical evaluations indicate that Carestart Covid-19 Ag provides a sensitivity of 88.4 % and specificity of 100 %, which is comparable to reverse transcription (RT)-PCR testing. Furthermore, Carestart Covid-19 Ag provides results in 10 minutes while PCR generally takes 1 or 2 days. In addition, the availability of Nanoact in multi-color variation enables different colors to be shown, such as blue for the test line (T) and red for the control line (C), which allows easier judgment as a user-friendly test kit, opines the firm.

Carestart Covid-19 Ag has also obtained CE Mark certification, and it is scheduled to be launched in Europe, Southeast Asia, and Africa.

In addition to various diagnostic test kits for Covid-19 and influenza, Nanoact is also expected to be used in multi-testing kits that enable simultaneous testing for several infectious diseases. Such kits are increasingly being developed by many diagnostic kit manufacturers in the U.S., Europe, and Asia. Asahi Kasei will continue to leverage Nanoact technology to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 and other infectious diseases, concludes the company.

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