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FDA intransigence prevents distribution of effective rapid tests
- danso 5y agoA story interesting because of what it reveals about the FDA and the medical bureaucracy. But there's also a small Silicon Valley-specific tie: > Within a few weeks, Bosch and her colleagues had a test that would detect coronavirus in 15 minutes and produce a red line on a little chemical strip. The factory where they were planning to make tests for dengue fever could quickly retool to produce at least 100,000 COVID-19 tests per week, she said, priced at less than $10 apiece, or cheaper at a higher scale. > Bosch’s prototype attracted a top Silicon Valley venture capital firm, which pitched in $2 million. > “We are excited about what E25Bio is capable of shipping in a short amount of time: a test that is significantly cheaper, more affordable, and available at-home,” said firm founder Vinod Khosla. (Disclosure: Khosla’s daughter Anu Khosla is on ProPublica’s board.)