VANCOUVER, British Columbia , May 07, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Blackhawk Growth Corp. (CSE: BLR; Frankfurt:0JJ; US-OTC: BLRZF) (the “Corporation” or “Blackhawk”), is pleased to announce that Innovita’s 2019-nCoV Ab test kit used in the detection of antibodies associated with COVID-19 has been independently validated and used in the COVID-19 Testing Project.

The use of rapid antibody tests has gained traction in monitoring the COVID-19 infection.  The tests have been very useful in identifying asymptomatic individuals who have been exposed to the virus.  Serology tests, like the Innovita test kit, have given insight on the transmissibility of the virus, and may be utilized as a tool to identify people who may have developed immunity.

Unfortunately, the increasing popularity and demand for rapid antibody test kits has led to a flood of inaccurate and non-validated test kits entering the market.  To establish a standard for antibody test kits, the COVID-19 Testing Project (https://covidtestingproject.org/), an independent group comprised of a multidisciplinary team of researchers and physicians at UCSF, UC Berkeley, Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, and Innovative Genomics Institute, embarked on a study to evaluate 10 different rapid antibody kits and two of its internal antibody testing methods.  A pre-print of the study “Test performance evaluation of SARS-CoV-2 serological assays” can be found at https://www.medrxiv.org/content/10.1101/2020.04.25.20074856v1.full.pdf

In the study, 12 different serology assays were tested blindly against a panel of 130 clinical samples from 80 individuals with confirmed COVID-19 infection and 108 pre-COVID-19 specimens.  From the study, the Innovita antibody test demonstrated greater than 96% specificity for IgM antibodies including 100% specificity for IgG antibodies against COVID-19.  In terms of specificity, it was one of the top two antibody kits evaluated by the COVID-19 Testing Project.

The FDA released new guidelines for rapid antibody/serology tests on May 4, 2020.  The guidelines increased oversight to prevent the entry of numerous flawed rapid antibody tests and to ensure accuracy.  The Innovita rapid antibody test kit is one of the few current serology tests listed in the US FDA register.

“This unbiased testing project solidifies the need for our Innovita test” states Frederick Pels, CEO of Blackhawk Growth Corp. “Conducted by some of the most prestigious institutes in the United States, it showcases the effectiveness in a study that government’s and decision makers simply cannot ignore. We look forward to spreading the information in this study and delivering these needed kits around the United States.”  

About the COVID-19 Project

The COVID-19 Testing Project is a multidisciplinary team of researchers and physicians at UCSF, UC Berkeley, Chan Zuckerberg Biohub, and Innovative Genomics Institute. Antibody tests for prior exposure to SARS-CoV-2 virus are urgently needed. The Project is performing head-to-head comparisons of commercially available lateral flow assays (also known as rapid serology tests) and ELISA immunoassays. Importantly, it includes an evaluation of test performance by time from symptom onset. The goal of the Project is to provide an ongoing resource for reliable tests to inform the scientific and medical community, policy makers, and the general public. More information can be found on their website here: https://covidtestingproject.org/.

Frederick Pels, Chief Executive Officer

(403)-991-7737

[email protected]

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