China has simplified procedures for approval of nucleic acid reagent test kits for the novel coronavirus as part of efforts to expand the supply capacity of virus detection products and contain the epidemic.

(Photo via BGI's official WeChat account)

The National Medical Products Administration (NMPA) has approved seven nucleic acid reagent test kits.

The NMPA has done an outstanding job in this regard, said an executive from Shanghai ZJ Bio-Tech Co., Ltd., adding that the company’s products were approved within four days by the administration.

However, the NMPA has not lowered qualification requirements. To ensure the quality of the test kits, the administration assigned professional reviewers to answer questions from companies submitting applications.

The “green channel” has greatly shortened the time for test kits to enter the market. As a result, more test kits have been directly supplied to hospitals across the country, contributing to the fight against the outbreak.

The NMPA also approved the DNBSEQ-T7 sequencing system of the novel coronavirus developed by MGI Tech Co., Ltd., a Shenzhen-based genomics sequencing company. The high-throughput gene sequencer can complete the entire testing process for the virus within 20 hours and test 200 samples at a time.

Thanks to the effective approval system, many companies are now aiming to increase production capacity. China’s top gene-sequencing provider BGI can produce 80,000 test kits per day, while ZJ Bio-Tech can ensure a daily supply of 100,000 to 150,000 kits.

Currently, China can produce 700,000 test kits per day, accounting for about 60 percent of the country’s maximum production capacity.