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Some serious big money exchanging hands over the last week..... these big trades there has to be a large buyer here

The news we are waiting for.......

Design Freeze on rapid tests, they meet the governments accuracy requirements for S&S. Large order placed, Omega capacity more than double to hundred thousand per week, amazon and Boots to distribute, available in a couple of weeks, app tracking of results, part of government strategy out of lockdown, other countries are interested.

This is exactly what i expect to play out in a matter of days not weeks. There is nothing that matches this potential.

Both BBI Solutions and Abingdon are shouting out about combining rapid tests with Apps for result reading and data. That should give a clue where they are in the process of rolling this out. It's so clear to see how this fits together with the governments strategy, which obviously a large part of that is manufacture of a large number of tests. there is no other offering out there with government backing, that can offer the quality of test required, with the distribution the likes of Amazon will bring, and the data and analytics that will be so important to government. It has to be timed with government policy to be effective.
I wonder if they could create a test where the result has to be scanned by some sort of electronic device to give the result, to ensure the data capture of immunity percentage?

https://twitter.com/Abingdon_Health/status/1259464267948007424?s=20
https://twitter.com/bbi_solutions/status/1258422999948148736?s=20

Herd immunity isn't just about people catching the virus. It's a mixture of those naturally immune and vaccination. Immunity will grow gradually as people get infected until the point a vaccine is available which will accelerate herd immunity. Shield and protect is about keeping R down so that natural immunity gradually increases rather than rapidly increases. We are talking about relaxation of lockdown and we are still getting new cases every day. There's no chance we will get to zero infections between now and a vaccine. For example if the number is 25% immune now, and that grows by 1% a month until a vaccine is available in 12 months time, you will have 37% natural immunity which is then accelerated as the vaccine is administered.

Ethio - here is my take....
100% agree on the herd immunity approach.
Expansion of capacity, partners recruiting and comments from the likes of Sir John Bell all lead to likely availability by end of May early June.
It is likely down because of traders and new gamblers being uncomfortable because there isn't an RNS every day telling us whats happening. The political importance may well be preventing the transparency many are seeking.
There is an II seller in L&G, they have been selling since before the news. I believe there is a new fund manager, they have had their position pre covid so it's an unexpected gain for them and likely caused an imbalance on their books. I'd expect another holdings RNS any time.
In terms of placing, note there is government funding available for diagnostics covid testing, debt is minimal and they are already cash generative and profit making pre covid. There is no r&d expenditure because of the consortium approach and government funding. This is a well run business as you will see by looking at the accounts. They have had plenty of opportunity to get a placing away if that was the intention. Likelihood is cash generation from Mologic deal and RTC tests will be significant in a very short space of time.

What do you think will happen if RTC don't produce a test to go into mass production?? They will team up with Mologic again and increase capacity. Which is what derisks this as its the manufacturing capacity that holds the key to unlock value, not the design of a kit itself.
Seeing as Omega were Mologic's preferred partner for production of the lab tests, you would think they would have had the same preference for the self test kit...... but perhaps Omega already have a use for their capacity........

Chris lol!!! Not sure what’s worse, the post or the people recommending it!!!
I do know I’m not wrong though Dave thanks.

Totally my line of thinking. It’s the governments herd immunity plan they were so criticised for championing at the beginning. Trying to implement that plan without talking about it IMO. This is a big political secret. We are not racing to try show off what we have to get a contract with the government or am am on/boots etc. We already have that backing.
Personally hope it stays here or drops until next week as I will double my holding after cashing in some share awards.

Oh my.... seriously Dave please do some more research. This is my last attempt.
There is no such thing as an antibody antigen test. An antibody test test for antibodies. It is not a test that uses antibodies to test for antigens. This is a fundamental misunderstanding.
Using affirmer reagents is an alternate antigen testing method to PCR. That is the USP for AVCT. They do the same job “at the moment” in a very different way. One is very much unproven, the other is being done millions of times a day globally.

Seriously sleepy Dave I have no problem agreeing to differ based on that last msg.
Affirmers are not alternatives to antibodies!!! That’s a crazy statement for someone invested in either of these stocks!!!!!

One appears to be a screen shot of the actual message, and the other appears to be a screen shot of the message being copied and pasted in another app hence why it is later. Not going to comment on if I think it’s genuine or not as it doesn’t matter, but if you want to play the detective it’s clear they are from different apps, and I’d think it’s likely the fed on of this is the reason for the time anonmoly

Sleepy, I am not a medical man but I have spent hours trying to understand this confirming my understanding with multiple sources.

You still have some fundamental errors in your comments, mentioning AVCT was important to highlight these.
You cannot replace antibodies with affirmers. Antibodies are made by the body to fight infection. Affirmers are reagents that help to identify if antigens are present. Such a different concept with a different purpose. I posted my thoughts on AVCT around 4.30 Friday if want to look through my history, but as piper suggests, £180m of value has been added to AVCT since the Covid play was announced, ODX is up about £60m, £40m of which I’d attribute to Mologic test. So POC tests only responsible for £20m of ODX market cap, highlights the potential here.

Reading some of your other comments... you have a few things wrong.....
95%+ of the tests our government have done to date are antigen tests. All of the “have you got it” tests.
The “have you had it” tests are test look for antibodies.

A pathogen (virus) enters the body. The virus has a toxic outer “shell” for want of a better word, which is the antigen. Think golf ball, the core is the pathogen, the shell is the antigen. This antigen causes an immune response, which causes the creation of antibodies to fight the virus. The pathogen/antigen makes home in our saliva, throat, airways, lungs which is why the test sample is via swab. Antibodies are found in the blood, hence sample is via blood work.
You appear to think AVCT are the first to create an antigen test. This is incorrect, millions of antigen tests have been carried out globally. What AVCT are doing is using affirmer reagents as an alternate to PCR testing to detect pathogens/antigens(just think of these as one and the same for this purpose). AVCT are looking to provide alternative “have you got it” tests competing with the PCR tests of the likes of NCYT. It’s about the method of the test not what they are testing for. One thing that doesn’t exist is home self test antigen kit, because PCR is a lab based technique. AVCT are attempting to offer this as their affirmer reagents can work on a pregnancy type home test kit using a saliva sample. I stress this is a home based antigen “have you got it” test, not an antibody “have you had it” test so not in competition with ODX.

Sorry wrong. PCR is a complex technique that takes genetic samples and amplifies them for analysis. An antigen is a toxic structure on the outside of a pathogen (virus).
Antigen isn’t a type of test. PCR is a type of test to identify a pathogen or antigen.

Seriously... a PCR test is an antigen test

Sorry Gazza that’s not correct. Our test is an antibody test, have you had it, same as Roche. Antigen rest is do you currently have it. Not Onegas game.
Difference in the test is RTC will be home pregnancy style kit, Roche is lab, like Mologic. Mologic have independent validation, Roche have validated I’m theirs themselves.

https://www.taylorwessing.com/synapse/ti-cemark-approval.html

Process for CE mark... note the difference between self test and lab test. Notified body must be involved for self test, a lab test can be given self certification.... perhaps one of the reasons nobody has cracked the self test but they have the lab test.....

One point to note, and I havnt seen this mentioned anywhere...

Roche CE Mark is accredited through self declaration. Mologic is accredited through independent validation.

Note 1
https://www.roche.com/media/releases/med-cor-2020-04-17.htm

Eva there will be more demand than supply for these tests for many years, even if they had another 4 companies making these they could never make more than they will sell.
Omega have plenty to offer in design and manufacturing process in achieving design freeze, they’re not there just to add manufacture capacity.
There is not a chance a government backed consortium will lead to one of the other companies keeping this for themselves. It’s more likely capacity will grow further.

There is a long, long way to go for our country to beat this pandemic. 7 weeks of staying at home has only bought us time. Time for the science to catch up and provide us with the solutions that we need. Solutions that normally take years to develop. We know that several of our home companies have stood up to be counted, and Omega Diagnostics are one of them. To be included in the RTC is a great testament for a company with a bright future. I am certain these 4 companies and Oxford will be at the epicentre of our exit plan from this disease. This is a key trick up our governments sleeve and i believe it will stay there until the time is right for them to show their hand.

Our press are the worst part of this in my opinion. Trying to second guess what the government are planning, putting false and misleading messages out trying to front run important governmental policies in order to sell newspapers. Our government hadn't changed the stay at home message until tonight slight relaxations which allow for more exercise and more people back to work where appropriate. Our press are delivering fake news, influencing the public to take certain actions, and the same press are criticising whatever actions the government do or dont take. Its a no win situation. Not trying to turn this political and not saying the government don't make mistakes, but this is unprecedented and the level of responsibility placed on decision makers shoulders is one that none of us would know how to handle. This virus i am sure will have repeat waves all around the world until there is a more permanent exit plan.

There is a safety first policy and it is one that only science will change. We know that testing, both antigen and antibody, has to play a major part in the coming back to life of our country. And this will change the industry forever and companies like Omega can grow into becoming key national infrastructure supplying the UK and overseas.