Vision Consulting enters into Covid-19 solutions business

Firms says new product lines will address a range of medical needs.

Vision Consulting, a global medtech and life sciences commercialisation firm based in Singapore, is facilitating global distribution and supply of a wide variety of high quality, certified and approved products in a “one source solution” platform.

The firm says its product platform spans innovative technologies such as PCR and antibody tests to urgently-needed high quality commodity medical devices known as PPE – personal protection equipment - such as N95 and K95 masks, face shields, digital thermometers and simple 75% alcohol based sanitizers and disifectants. Also full PPE equipment to hospitals around the world in often more remote locations.

Vision Consulting’s Managing Director, Hugo Jefferson, said his firm was providing a globally-sourced “one source solution” platform to ensure supply to needy countries where external manufacturers may be focused on immediately serving their own domestic market needs in protectionist measures.

Local and regional companies and related products represented by Vision include JN Medsys, HSA-approved ProTect™ Covid-19 RT-qPCR Kit Test Kits, and BT Reserachi, a German product, manufactured in China which is a PCR throat swab diagnostic viral detection solution providing very accurate and fast results.

In addition, the company has a close relationship with HPBIO Inc., a first-in-class therapeutics company, located in Seoul, Korea, which is developing a combination rt-PCR and antibody combination coronavirus diagnostics kit with great accuracy, sensitivity and specificity designed to decrease cost, time and complexity by performing testing ‘one time’ instead of testing RT-PCR and antibody presence separately.

Vision Consulting’s Jefferson said these products provide rapid, accurate results meeting or exceeding government standards. “The company is in discussion for distribution of a major new innovation to replace the need for ventilators and treatment of select patients in respiratory distress within an intensive care unit, potentially avoiding significant trauma, long-term injury and treatment cost,” he added.

“We are also close to offering a blood-based viral antigen body testing using a finger prick as a means of determining previous presence of the virus whether under mild or asymptomatic conditions. Such testing may be helpful to identify those who have developed an immunity to go back to work and return to their normal lives and may be immediately relevant in the recent discussion of ‘antibody passports’ which could be issued to those already infected and have passed through the infection. Approaches and approvals are still in development," said Jefferson.

"Whilst the Korean FDA only requires rt-PCR (real time PCR) molecular diagnostic kits using nasal or oral swabs for satisfactory testing, the WHO is currently recommending combination use of such rt-PCR molecular tests with blood-based antibody rapid tests together to address each method’s “false negative” results to increase accuracy and ultimately prevent potential super spreaders.”

Vision Consulting says it is pursuing this collaboration with the highly innovative company, HPBIO Inc. of Seoul, South Korea, developing an advanced aptamer-based diagnostic test for greater convenience, speed and accuracy using either rt-PCR or antibody detection methods. Aptamers are oligonucleotide or peptide molecules that bind to a specific target molecule and are usually created by selecting them from a large random sequence pool, yet also existing in riboswitches. Aptamers can be used for both basic research and clinical purposes as macromolecular drugs. Aptamers can also be combined with ribozymes to self-cleave in the presence of their target molecule. These compound molecules have additional research, industrial and clinical applications.

According to Vision Consulting, Seungjae Rhee, CEO of HPBIO Inc. said, “We are developing a coronavirus detection kit combined with 4 genes using either current standard methods to increase the accuracy and sensitivity simply and quickly.” With the help of Vision Consulting, HPBIO is aiming to raise funds to finish this project as soon as possible and also to develop a coronavirus vaccine and treatment.

R. Jeganthan, Head of Vision’s Public Emergency Division has remarked that, “Vision is very well- positioned with an international suite of solutions. Although Singapore is a major and well-respected manufacturer of COVID-19 Solutions, due to previous precedence and experience with SARS, Vision wants to make sure that we not only address the needs of Singapore as a matter of national priority, but also offer a global portfolio from which we can supplement any potential shortages.”

Frank Mauderer, Head of Vision Europe, based out of Germany, noted: “During the last few months, Europe has become a focal point in the fight against the current COVID-19 pandemic. Whilst coping strategies differ from country to country and even among federal states, the sourcing of medical protective equipment has been a common challenge for all healthcare systems in the EU and has brought a considerable strain for doctors, nurses and other medical staff working on the frontlines of this pandemic.

"Recent reports on faulty protective masks and unreliable tests have further added insecurities in times where all focus should be on treatment in reviving patients, most severely affected by the disease. Going forward, it will be paramount for all stakeholders to source reliable, high quality equipment and Vision Consulting Europe is committed to be a steadfast sourcing partner during these trying times and beyond," Mauderer added.

Ed Ross, Head of Vision North America, based in the United States, stated, “Given the magnitude and exponential growth of cases as well as the dramatic shortage of PPE in US healthcare institutions and commercial businesses, there is an unprecedented, urgent need for a high-quality tests and protective equipment available in good supply through dependable channels and with solid support and education.

"Vision is focused on delivering consistent product and services to meet this urgent need now and well into the future addressing COVID-19 cases and other disease outbreaks. The convenience and efficiency of our “one source solution” platform will be very valuable to serving the government agencies, healthcare institutions and commercial businesses," Ross further stated.

Ramanathan, who heads Vision’s Regional team, based in Bangalore, India, which covers Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Nepal markets also said, “The COVID-19 pandemic is an unprecedented situation – neither our generation nor our earlier ones have seen and handled such challenge. We need rapid, comprehensive and quality solutions across all aspects of this Infectious disease management."

"Vision Consulting has envisioned this need and created a global ‘one stop shop’ for this situation – from diagnostic tools and PPEs to hand sanitizers and thermometers," Ramanathan concluded.

Vision is in active discussions to supply health ministries, healthcare institutions and commercial concerns with this broad portfolio of solutions to address the pandemic.