LexaGene Places a Pre-Commercial Instrument for COVID-19 Testing in a Major Hospital Laboratory

BEVERLY, Mass., May 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LexaGene Holdings, Inc. (TSX-V: LXG; OTCQB: LXXGF) (the “Company”), a biotechnology company that develops genetic analyzers for rapid pathogen detection and other molecular markers, is pleased to announce the placing of a pre-commercial instrument that tests for COVID-19 and other respiratory pathogens at the Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center (DHMC) in their Laboratory for Clinical Genomics and Advanced Technology (CGAT) in Hanover, New Hampshire. 

Dr. Gregory J. Tsongalis, PhD, HCLD, CC, Professor and Vice Chair for Research Director at CGAT comments, “Our standard test for SARS-CoV-2, the pathogen that causes COVID-19, takes about 7.5 hours.  Given the highly contagious nature of this virus, this is a long time to wait.  We want the ability to get results much faster and to be able to screen for more pathogens at once since respiratory symptoms can be caused by numerous other viruses.”

Dr. Jack Regan, LexaGene’s Founder and CEO, states, “We are excited to be able to contribute to the fight against COVID-19 and illustrate our applications in the human clinical space.  Unlike many of the near-patient testing solutions used today that only look for COVID-19 and have a significant false negative rate, the instrument we have placed at Dartmouth-Hitchcock screens for many pathogens at once, namely COVID-19, influenza, RSV, adenovirus, metapneumovirus, and seasonal coronavirus, and it performs gold-standard chemistry for exceptional data quality.  Our breadth of detection allows users of our technology to generate informative data for the vast majority of people with respiratory symptoms.  This is particularly important as healthcare providers are increasingly questioning negative results from COVID-19 only tests, wondering if the test result is a false negative or the person is sick from another pathogen.”

The Company is also pleased to report that we have submitted our plan to the FDA for Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for COVID-19 testing and anticipates completing the described studies in the near future.  Until these studies are completed and the FDA grants LexaGene’s instrument EUA for COVID-19 testing, all work using LexaGene instruments is classified as Research Use Only and cannot be used for human clinical diagnostics.

The Company is not making any express or implied claims that its product has the ability to eliminate, cure or contain the COVID-19 (or SARS-2 Coronavirus) at this time.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors
Signed "Dr. Jack Regan"
Dr. Jack Regan, Chairman of the Board of Directors & Chief Executive Officer

About LexaGene Holdings Inc.

LexaGene is a biotechnology company that develops genetic analyzers for pathogen detection and other molecular markers for on-site rapid testing in veterinary diagnostics, food safety and for use in open-access markets such as clinical research, agricultural testing and biodefense. End-users simply need to collect a sample, load it onto the instrument with a sample preparation cartridge, enter sample ID and press ‘go’. The LX Analyzer delivers excellent sensitivity, specificity, and breadth of detection and can return results in about 1 hour. The unique open-access feature is designed for custom testing so that end-users can load their own real-time PCR assays onto the instrument to target any genetic target of interest.

For further information, please contact:

Media Contacts
Nicole Ridgedale
Director of Corporate Marketing, LexaGene
800.215.1824 ext 206
[email protected]

Investor Relations
Jay Adelaar
Vice President of Capital Markets, LexaGene
800.215.1824 ext 207
[email protected]

The TSX Venture Exchange Inc. has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release. Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release contains forward-looking information, which involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual events to differ materially from current expectation. Important factors -- including the availability of funds, the results of financing efforts, the success of technology development efforts, the cost to procure critical parts, performance of the instrument, market acceptance of the technology, regulatory acceptance, and licensing issues -- that could cause actual results to differ materially from the Company's expectations as disclosed in the Company's documents filed from time to time on SEDAR (see www.sedar.com). Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. The company disclaims any intention or obligation, except to the extent required by law, to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.