2020-12-11 05:08:43
KUALA LUMPUR, 11 December 2020 – Ho Wah Genting Berhad’s (“HWGB” or the “Company”) (Bursa Stock Code:9601) subsidiary, HWGB Medical Devices & Supplies Sdn Bhd (“HWGB Medical Devices”), has been made the exclusive distributor of Wenzhou OJA Biotechnology Co. Ltd’s (“WOJA”) SARS-CoV-2 Neutralizing Antibody (NAbs) Detection Kit in Malaysia and Indonesia via a letter of authorization from WOJA dated 10 December 2020.
This first of its kind detection kit has an important role in confirming production of antibody against coronavirus causing COVID-19. Clinically, antibody against COVID-19 is an important marker for assessing the effectiveness of the new coronavirus vaccines.
Chief Medical Consultant of HWGB Biotech, Dato' Dr Lai Kwong Choy said, “This test kit is crucial to confirm and monitor if the virus in a person’s body is being neutralised after vaccination. It is like after taking medication for fever, we still need to measure our body temperature using a thermometer to know if the medicine works. Similarly, this new test kit does the same by monitoring for those given COVID-19 vaccine to see if the virus is destroyed”.
WOJA was founded to focus on the development of testing solutions for COVID-19 and prior to the pandemic's outbreak, the founders of WOJA and its panel of medical experts was working on perfecting the methods to accurately and efficiently diagnose various diseases and viruses. WOJA is also an extension of BIOSIC, a company specialising in early cancer detection and disease diagnosis.
How do neutralizing antibodies work
For the virus to invade the human cells, it needs to attach to the ACE 2 receptor with the receptor binding domain (“RBD”) of the spike protein. If this interaction is blocked by a neutralizing/blocking antibody, the virus then will not be able to invade the cell. The diagram below illustrates how neutralizing antibodies work:
Ho Wah Genting Berhad (“HWGB” or the “Company”) is principally engaged in investment holdings and the provision of management services to its subsidiaries. The Company had on 30 June 2020 diversified its existing businesses to include healthcare related industry which mainly involved in health supplement, biotechnology and health technology. In addition, the Company and its subsidiaries (“HWGB Group” or the “Group”) are also engaging in the businesses of investment holdings; manufacturing of wires and cables and moulded power supply cord sets and cable assemblies for electrical and electronic devices and equipment; trading of wires and cables; and travel agent and tour related services.
Please refer to the US Food and Drug Administration website for more information on EBI’s Phase IV clinical study: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04639375
Dato' Dr.Lai Kwong Choy, Chief Medical Consultant of HWGB Biotech
A medical doctor with practices at various clinics with over 30 year of relevant experience in the medical field. He is also the former board member of Malaysia Health Promotion Board under the MOH and has served as a local counsellor at the Kajang Municipal Council.
Wenzhou OJA Biotechnology Co. Ltd (“WOJA”) was founded in April 2020 by Dr. Wang Jin Gu, who has more than 10 years of experience in in-vitro diagnostics field, as an extension of BIOSIC; a company that specializes in early cancer detection and disease diagnostic. WOJA was formed to focus on the development of testing solutions for the SARS-CoV-2. Prior to the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, the founders and the panel of medical experts had been working on perfecting methods to accurately and efficiently diagnose various diseases and viruses.
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