ITOCO, through its partner DATANet, has now released the first version of a web- and mobile-based application for administering its patent-pending Immutable Virus Test Result Verification System. This application is the next key step in commercializing this patent-pending system.
Register
This post covers how to register an account at ImmutableTest.com and get it upgraded to a full trial account.
The first step is to Register an Account. This is a simple process. Fill out the form with your first and last name, email and password and hit the Sign Up button. After you receive confirmation that you have created your account you can now login using your credentials.
Welcome
After successfully registering or logging in you will start at the welcome page. You will now be able to navigate through the tabs on the left-hand side to see the tabs available. You should also notice that your details are now visible in the top left. You will also notice that the tabs you now have access to also have a message requesting you to upgrade to a free trial or as a paid customer. This next section deals with how to do that.
Upgrade
When you register an account you will receive a follow-up email to begin a discussion and learn more about your use case. Assuming you are from a use case that fits, for example you are from a company that is seeking to deploy this kind of solution for its customers and/or employers, then you will receive an upgrade to your account either as a free trial or as a paid customer.
Noticeably absent for now is mention of Rapid DNA Testing – the article highlights standard diagnostic testing such as for heart rate and body temperature that would be good precursors to DNA Testing.
The processes and solutions that are covered include:
Guest Screening
Screening consists of checks of heart rate, breathing rate, body temperature and blood oxygen as well as a chat questionnaire and ID check
Occurs on initial check-in as well as disembark/embark process at stops
Screening also occurs in common areas of the ship
Crew Screening
Screening is the same as for guests
Occurs before boarding
Also occurs at key points on ship and at scheduled times for follow-up
Trigger-Based Workflows
A screening result can automatically trigger next-step protocols such as quarantine procedures
Data input feeds back-end analytical tools that are used to review screening results
Guest-Crew Virtual Check-up
Remote medical professionals can conduct check-ups with guests and crew through encrypted 1-to-1 video and voice communications
Geofencing technologies create alerts if someone breaks quarantine by moving outside of their quarantine zone
As mentioned, the article does not cover how DNA Testing can be used to markedly enhance the overall approach and effectiveness. Look for our upcoming article about this very topic or sign-up for our Itoco newsletter to get it in your inbox.
Major industries are massively impacted by the delay in reopening, uncertainty when reopening will start and at what point things will return to 2019 levels. Adverse effects include losses of revenue, stock price, jobs and in some cases even the ability to continue as a going concern.
Every month and week counts for these industries and the companies within them. The search for solutions that will enable them to open more quickly and safely are critical to them addressing this challenge. These solutions include Corporate Virus Testing and Verification Systems such as those newly offered by Itoco.
With that in mind, here are 5 Major Industries that are in the hunt for these solutions:
1. Casinos
The Casino Industry estimated the impact of COVID back in March 2020 as a loss of $21.6B.
Casinos can address reopening and loss reduction through rapid virus testing and verification in a number of ways:
Building its own virus testing labs onsite or partnering with labs to do that
Building virus testing and result verification logistical processes that address their customer journeys
Using rapid virus testing technologies that reduce the time to result to minutes instead of hours or days
Using rapid virus testing technologies that don’t require a lab or combining lab with non-lab testing technologies in an overall system
Leverage at-home testing kit results as part of an overall virus testing and result verification strategy
Adopting testing and result verification administration systems
The annual revenue of companies in the cruise line industry is estimated as at least $45B by Cruise Market Watch. Given that cruise line trips have been grounded for at least 6 months, and counting, the impact on revenue could be estimated as at least $22.5B. In the initial stages of the pandemic shares in the industry leaders took heavy hits as well.
Cruise lines can adopt rapid virus testing and verification solutions similarly to casinos above, with specific focus on the key points of testing and verification that take place throughout the cruise line customer journey, as described in our previous post on approaches cruise lines are taking to address COVID.
Airlines can address these challenges by adopting the strategies and approaches outlined above for Casinos, with specific focus on the unique stages and challenges of the airline passenger customer journey.
This can be handled directly by airlines themselves in partnership with technology systems providers such as Itoco or through a combined effort, coordinated on their own, through their associations or through existing technology service providers such as those for booking or passenger logistics systems.
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4. Live Music and Sports
Global revenue for Live Music in 2019 was $19.3B and as a result of COVID-19 it is estimated to be $7.7B for 2020, a loss of $11.6B.
The impact of COVID on Live Sporting Events was estimated in May as a further $12B loss. Both live music and sports can address this using rapid virus testing and result verification systemsby considering strategies and approaches outlined in the Casinos section above with a particular focus on the unique logistical challenges of the handling such a large number of people entering and exiting a venue for an event at a fixed time.
In both cases, the time sensitivity of the test results are particularly acute. Adoption of virus testing technologies that can produce results in less than an hour are a requirement at different stages of the customer journey. Immutable virus test result verification is also a requirement. The virus test result must provably be for the person who is attending the event. The corporate virus testing and result verification system by Itoco addresses all of these requirements.
In both cases the industries can well leverage at-home and/or local lab testing to provide early warning systems pre-event as part of an overall system, particularly for live sports because they have regular ticket holders who attend and can be segmented by testing location off-site before the event.
In both cases logistics are key and planning and monitoring those systems using technology systems.
Tradeshows can address reopening using the strategies, approaches and overall solution outlined in the Casinos section.
In particular the nature of tradeshow visitors, with many being corporate professionals, depending on the event type leads to interesting technology solutions for combining technology systems through integration to provide reliable virus testing and verification throughout longer customer journeys.
If you are working in these industries or others impacted by COVID and looking for solutions, contact us today to begin exploring Itoco’s service offerings and technologies that address this.
Intro challenges to rapid testing and why it’s needed (i.e. the benefit in rapid testing). DNA Testing can turn around test results on site in 10 minutes and at a scale that far exceeds traditional PCR tests. There is some confusion about what DNA Testing for viruses is and how it works. In this post we dive in to reveal just that.
Synthetic DNA
It starts with Synthetic DNA. What is Synthetic DNA? It is part of the field of Synthetic Biology, which combines chemical synthesis of DNA with growing knowledge of genomics to enable researchers to quickly manufacture catalogued DNA sequences and assemble them into new genomes. This synthetically reproduced DNA is Synthetic DNA.
The first step in Rapid DNA testing for COVID-19 then is to produce a synthetic SARS-CoV-2 genome.
At least two teams have already recently announced completion and availability of this and more are actively working on it. Codex DNA announced the availability of its synthetic genome on July 16 and researchers at University of Bern in Switzerland announced theirs back in May.
On-Site Test Sampling and Analysis
With the Rapid DNA Testing Kits, samples are taken on-site (e.g. as part of a Cruise Line embarking process, live-event, or casino or hotel check-in process, and/or as part of continued testing at any of these etc.). A sample can be different based on the type of virus being tested for. In the case of COVID-19 it is a swab.
Unlike traditional PCR (polymerase chain reaction)testing, Rapid DNA Testing has a number of advantages:
Can gather, process and deliver results on-site quickly and easily. Samples don’t need to be sent somewhere else for processing. Results are returned in 10 minutes or less.
Each machine can produce at a much greater scale and can run many tests concurrently in batch.
Cost is much less per test, at just a few dollars per test
How does the testing actually work? It compares the Synthetic DNA of the virus to the sample to see if there is a match. It is not analyzing the DNA of the person or recording that for any such purpose. It is only looking through the sample for the exact match of the virus DNA to see if it is present.
As discussed in our previous post on approaches and precautions that the Cruise Line Industry is taking to managing operations once they resume, the above Rapid DNA Testing advantages make it well-suited to industries such as Cruise Lines, Casinos, Hotels, Live Events and others.
How to Get Rapid DNA Testing Kits For Your Company
Through its partner Itoco is now offering Rapid DNA Testing Machines and Kits targeting partners in the states of Florida and New York. If you are looking to get this installed and working, please contact us now to begin a discussion.
We begin this new feature by looking at two new market research reports that cover some projected market size statistics for Gene Therapy. We then cover a response from the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine to the EU Pharmaceutical Roadmap and finally highlight some news for other public companies that are involved with Gene Therapy.
The report covers different categories of the regenerative medicine market, including gene therapy products. It also segments based on different applications such as musculoskeletal disorders, wound care, oncology, ocular disorders, diabetes, dermatology and others.
In terms of time periods it covers 2015-2018 as historical years, 2019 is used as the base year, while 2020 is the estimated year and 2021-2025 is the forecast period.
The report covers the Gene Therapy market specifically and covers the forecast period 2020 – 2026. It posit that the market is receiving tailwinds from advancements in synthetic biology.
Europe accounting for ~60% of total demand for gene therapy products.
North America as key future driver for gene therapy market growth.
Collaborations between clinical research organizations, research institutes, and biopharma companies as another key market growth driver.
Faster approval rates by European Medicines Agency (EMA) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) are also leading to accelerated market growth
COVID-19 is increasing investment in gene therapy to explore ways it can be used to develop multiple therapeutic approaches for the virus and others that could occur in the future
In other news, today the Alliance for Regenerative Medicine responded to the EU Pharmaceutical Roadmap. As originally reported by Stock News Feed, the response recommends that the following priorities be included in the Pharmaceutical Strategy:
Limiting the Hospital Exemption, and other regulatory carve outs
Ensuring smooth implementation of the upcoming clinical trial regulation
Reconsidering the scope and implementation of the genetically modified organism (GMO) legislation of medicinal products, to reduce burdensome requirements for gene therapy trials
Launching new initiatives to build Real World Evidence (RWE) infrastructure and disease registries at the pan-European level
Coordinating ATMP clinical assessment at the EU leve, while adapting Health Technology Assessment (HTA), pricing and reimbursement processes to capture and value the long-term benefits of ATMPs
Facilitating cross-border treatment with ATMPs
Supporting the adoption of innovative pricing and payment models for ATMPs to ensure continue patient access to innovative therapies while preserving sustainability of health systems in the EU
In company news, Mustang Bio (NASDAQ:MBIO), who focuses on translating medical breakthroughs in cell and gene therapies into potential cures for hematologic cancers, solid tumors and rare genetic diseases, was expected by Wall Street Analysts to report earnings of $0.28 per share. This was according to Zacks as reported by Caroline Horne for The Lincoln Online on July 5, 2020.
Finally, on July 2, Sarepta Therapeutics (NASDAQ:SRPT) announced an agreement with Hansa Biopharma to partner on the development and commercialization of gene therapies for various rare diseases.
