Acumen Diagnostics granted Ministry of Health COVID-19 offsite PCR testing license, up to 100 sites island-wide

Dec 16, 2021 12:00 JST

Source: Acumen Diagnostics

- Acumen Diagnostics will implement swabbing and COVID-19 PCR tests via Q&M Dental's network of outlets to provide accessible, affordable, and convenient testing services
- PCR testing services will be rolled out to an initial 10 clinics by 31 December 2021
- Vaccinations and a robust testing regime remain the best strategy for safe and sustainable re-opening of the economy

SINGAPORE, Dec 16, 2021 - (ACN Newswire) - Homegrown medical technology Company, Acumen Diagnostics Pte. Ltd. ("Acumen Diagnostics" or the "Company"), a 51% owned subsidiary of Q&M Dental Group (Singapore) Limited ("Q&M Dental") and 49% owned by Aoxin Q&M Dental Group Limited ("Aoxin Q&M Dental"), today announced that it has been granted a license by the Ministry of Health, Singapore to provide offsite COVID-19 polymerase chain reaction ("PCR") swab services and serology sample collection.

The Company will roll out its testing services via Q&M Dental's network of clinics, and also at Acumen Diagnostics' headquarters located at The Gemini, 41 Science Park Road, Singapore.

Dr Ong Siew Hwa, Chief Executive Officer & Chief Scientist of Acumen Diagnostics and Executive Director of Aoxin Q&M Dental, said "Vaccination coupled with a robust testing regime remains the best strategy to tackle the virus enabling a safe and more sustainable re-opening of the economy.

PCR tests remain the gold standard for accurately detecting COVID-19 cases and with the potential higher transmissibility of new variants such as Omicron, testing needs to be deployed quickly and provide highly accurate results to control the spread of the virus."

With the onset of the Omicron variant and Vaccinated Travel Lane arrangements with more countries being added, the Company will ramp up its COVID-19 PCR testing services in anticipation of the increased demand for PCR testing, at an initial 10 Q&M Dental outlets plus the Company's headquarters, by 31 December 2021. See Annex A below for details of the 10 Q&M Dental outlets. More sites will be added in the next few months to the rest of the Q&M Dental network, with a potential capacity to activate 100 sites island-wide.

Dr Ng Chin Siau, Chief Executive Officer of Q&M Dental said, "Through Q&M Dental's extensive network of clinics, with capacity to roll out to 100 sites island-wide, we as a Group are committed to provide highly accurate and accessible PCR tests to make COVID-19 testing hassle-free and convenient for all Singapore residents.

And with one of the most competitive pricing available in Singapore, we will ensure that our tests remain affordable for everyone who needs to be tested. We will continue to do our part to contribute to the national effort to combat the COVID-19 virus and progress towards living with endemic COVID-19."

Those who require their PCR test results on urgent basis can also visit Acumen Diagnostics' headquarters at The Gemini, 41 Science Park Road, Singapore. With its headquarters located in close proximity to the Company's two laboratories, PCR test results will be available in as early as 4 hours. For an additional fee, the Company also provides doorstep PCR testing services to your home or workplace.

Acumen Diagnostics possesses deep technical capabilities and the supporting infrastructure in molecular diagnostics, spanning R&D, manufacturing, and clinical laboratory testing, with 2 laboratories that are able to process over 7,000 COVID-19 diagnostics tests daily.

Recently, on 3 December 2021, Acumen Diagnostics also announced that its proprietary, locally-manufactured PCR test kits Acu-Corona 2.0 and Acu-Corona Duplex are able to detect COVID-19 positive cases infected with the Omicron variant. In addition to detecting COVID-19 positive cases infected with the Delta variant, the Company's proprietary PCR test kits are able to pick-up COVID-19 positive cases infected with the Omicron variant as well.

Annex A: Initial testing sites at Acumen Diagnostics and Q&M Dental branches by 31 December 2021

S/N - Acumen HQ & Q&M Dental Outlet - Address - Telephone
HQ - Acumen Diagnostics (Headquarters) - 41 Science Park Road #01-02 Gemini (Lobby B) (S) 117610 - 6980 0080
1 - Canberra - Blk 126 Canberra Street #01-03 Multi Storey Car Park (S) 750126 - 6518 3115
2 - Geylang - 1 Lorong 22 Geylang #01-01 Grandview Suites (S) 398664 - 6741 2071
3 - Jurong East - 2 Jurong East Street 21 #02-61A IMM Building (S) 609601 - 6980 3999
4 - Jurong - Blk 353 Jurong East Street 31 #01-107 Yuhua Place (S) 600353 - 6980 3868
5 - Kim Seng - 1 Kim Seng Promenade #03-117 Great World City (S) 237994 - 6734 0603
6 - Kim Tian - Blk 126 Kim Tian Road #01-03 Kim Tian Green (S) 160126 - 6979 7668
7 - North Bridge - 107 North Bridge Road #B1-37/38 Funan Mall (S) 179105 - 6979 9296
8 - Potong Pasir - 51 Upper Serangoon Road #03-10/11 The Poiz Centre (S) 347697 - 6968 5131
9 - Sembawang Way - Blk 355 Sembawang Way #01-07 (S) 750355 - 6235 2782
10 - Tanjong Katong - 11 Tanjong Katong Road #B1-13 Kinex (S) 437157 - 6241 6562

About Acumen Diagnostics Pte. Ltd. (www.acumen-research.com)

Acumen Diagnostics Pte. Ltd. ("Acumen Diagnostics") is a homegrown Singaporean, award-winning medical technology company. It is fully integrated with functions in research and development, manufacturing, as well as commercialisation of molecular diagnostics by distribution as well as conducting clinical laboratory testing services for (including but not limited to) infectious diseases, cancer, and COVID-19. It has also actively established frontline services such as COVID-19 on-site swabbing operations.

Acumen Diagnostics is a 51% subsidiary of SGX-listed Q&M Dental Group (Singapore) Limited (SGX: 1D4.SI) and 49%-owned by SGX-listed Aoxin Q&M Dental Group Limited (SGX: QC7.SI).

About Q&M Dental Group (Singapore) Limited (QC7.SI) (www.QandMDental.com.sg)

Q&M Dental Group (Singapore) Limited ("Q&M" or together with its subsidiaries, the "Group") is a leading private dental healthcare group in Asia. The Group owns the largest network of private dental outlets in Singapore, operating 90 dental outlets across the country. Underpinned by about 270 experienced dentists, 7 doctors and more than 350 supporting staff, the Group sees an average of 40,000 patient visits a month in Singapore. The Group also operates 5 medical clinics and a dental supplies and equipment distribution company.

Outside of Singapore, the Group has 38 dental clinics and a dental supplies and equipment distribution company in Malaysia, as well as a dental clinic in the People's Republic of China ("PRC"). Q&M is also the substantial shareholder of Aoxin Q&M Dental Group Limited, a dental Group listed on the Catalist board of the Singapore Exchange, which operates dental clinics and hospitals primarily in the Northeastern region of the PRC. The Group aims to expand its operations geographically and vertically through the value chain in Malaysia, the PRC and within ASEAN.

In 2018, the Group made inroads into the development of advanced technology in healthcare with the establishment of EM2AI Pte. Ltd. ("EM2AI", formerly known as Q&M Dental AI Pte. Ltd.). EM2AI focuses on developing an Artificial Intelligence (AI) ethical enhanced guided treatment plan.

In 2019, the Group expanded into dental postgraduate education with the establishment of the Q&M College of Dentistry. It offers Singapore's first private postgraduate diploma programme in clinical dentistry.

In 2020, the Group also expanded into the medical laboratories and research industry with the incorporation of Acumen Diagnostics Pte. Ltd. ("Acumen Diagnostics"). Acumen Diagnostics currently focuses on the manufacture, sale and distribution of COVID-19 diagnostic test kits, as well as COVID19 testing.

The Group was listed on the Mainboard of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited ("SGXST") on 26 November 2009.

About Aoxin Q&M Dental Group Limited (Stock Code: 1D4.SI) (www.aoxinqm.com.sg)

Aoxin Q&M Dental Group Limited ("Aoxin Q&M Dental" or together with its subsidiaries, the "Group") is a leading provider of private dental services in the Liaoning Province, Northern People's Republic of China ("PRC"). The Group operates 16 dental centres, comprising 10 dental polyclinics and 6 dental hospitals, located across 8 cities in Liaoning Province, namely Shenyang, Huludao, Panjin, Gaizhou, Zhuanghe, Jinzhou, Dalian and Anshan. We currently have 400 dental professionals, including 170 dentists, 180 dental surgery assistants and 50 laboratory technicians. A majority of the dental centres are accredited as Designated Medical Institutions of Medical Insurance. Additionally, the Group is engaged in the provision of dental laboratory services, as well as the distribution and sale of dental equipment and supplies in the Liaoning, Heilongjiang and Jilin Provinces in Northern PRC.

Aoxin Q&M Dental was listed on the Catalist board of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited on 26 April 2017.

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Derek Yeo (M): +65 9791 4707, derek@waterbrooks.com.sg

Source: Acumen Diagnostics
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