Hahn-Schickard produces PCR rapid tests for SARS-CoV-2

Triggered by the Sars-Cov-2 pandemic, Hahn-Schickard and the Freiburg-based medtech company Spindiag quickly developed the PCR-based coronavirus rapid test based on an existing system for detecting hospital germs.

The corona test was launched on the market as an approved medical device (CE-IVD) in November 2020. The test system, known as Rhonda, is easy and safe to use, time-saving and mobile. During the pandemic, around 1 million coronavirus tests were carried out with the system in around 240 German clinics.

Hahn-Schickard has established a multi-shift operation for the production of the rapid tests and has thus successfully demonstrated its ability to react quickly and purposefully to current economic requirements.

Following the change in the coronavirus test regulation in Germany on 28.02.2023, the market for PCR-based rapid coronavirus tests has collapsed by around 90%. Spindiag's other products, a PCR-based test for around 26 antibiotic-resistant pathogens (MRSA) and a respiratory panel for influenza viruses, were unable to compensate for the slump in the coronavirus test. The company Spindiag, which had grown to 120 employees in the meantime, had to drastically reduce its workforce and finally filed for insolvency in June 2023.

The technology of rapid PCR tests and their applications in the field of human infection diagnostics is now being continued by the Hahn-Schickard spin-off Dermagnostix.
The test for coronaviruses or antibiotic-resistant pathogens is being continued by Endress + Hauser Biosense, a joint venture between Hahn-Schickard and Endress+Hauser for testing wastewater.