LightDeck Diagnostics awarded $35.1M DoD contract to increase production of COVID-19 antibody tests

LightDeck Diagnostics, which produces both SARS-CoV-2 Ultra-Rapid Antigen and COVID-19 Total Antibody Tests, was awarded a $35.1 million contract from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) last week to increase production capacity for these speedy diagnostics.

Both tests are point-of-care tests able to provide lab-quality results within a five-minute turnaround. LightDeck’s proprietary platform used advanced laser waveguide and novel materials to make its tests, which traditionally have been in veterinary and environmental testing, but with the rise of COVID-19, it has branched out into in vitro diagnostic panels.

Presently, the Boulder, Colorado-based company can provide about 50,000 tests per month. However, the new contract will pump funds into expanding its industrial base, bolstering LightDeck’s domestic production capability and aiming to bring its production to 1 million tests per month by September 2022.

Funding for the expansion will be provided through the Health Care Enhancement Act allotments for supporting domestic industrial base expansion among critical medical resources, with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) leading the effort.