BUCKS COUNTY – July 14, 2021 – A COVID-19 Vaccine efficacy test created by Bucks County biotechnology firm FlowMetric got a boost from $750,000 in state funding secured by state Senator Steve Santarsiero (D-10).
“If the last year and a half or so has taught us anything it’s that having data and information is critically important,” said Sen. Santarsiero during a press conference on Tuesday. “I was proud to advocate for the Keystone Communities Program Grant for FlowMetric, a company that is really on the cutting-edge doing great work, here at the PA Biotech Center. This test will not only determine vaccine efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines available in the United States but will lead the way for future vaccine efficacy testing.”
FlowMetric CEO Renaldo Capocasale thanked Senator Santarsiero for his help in securing the grant funding adding, “This is a historical day for FlowMetric Life Sciences. With deep gratitude we are accepting a grant from the state of Pennsylvania and Senator Santarsiero.”
“Everything we do is about dealing with and addressing unmet medical needs,” continued Capocasale. “When the COVID pandemic began, we quickly recognized that we could support testing in ways we felt would make a great contribution, and that has led to the recognition by Senator Santarsiero and his colleagues that testing for immune response to COVID 19 vaccines is something that is truly helpful and going to provide great value.”
Individuals who have received any of the COVID-19 vaccine and can request a test from their doctor. The event also included a tour of the mobile lab by Robert Hilliard, co-founder and Chief Technology Officers for Veterans Technology Systems, the developer of the lab. The grant will be used to purchase lab equipment to expand testing capabilities, and toward expansion of the mobile labs, to improve access to community-based testing.
Sen. Santarsiero continued, “A few months ago I was able to bring my colleagues in leadership of the Senate and House Appropriations Committees on a tour of the PA Biotechnology Center, which included a stop at FlowMetric. While here, I took the COVID-19 Vaccine Immune Response Test and when the results came back I learned I had COVID-19 before I received the vaccine. My colleagues and I were all incredibly impressed with this innovative test and the implications it can have on public health moving forward. The work that is being done here underscores how important this type of technology is and why the state being able to invest in this research is so critically important.”
FlowMetric is housed in the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center, one of the nation’s most successful Life Sciences incubators, located in Buckingham Township. For more information on the COVID-19 Vaccine Immune Response Test, visit http://www.vaxeffect.com.
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