Atomo Diagnostics to supply HIV test kits across SA and Victoria as part of national vending machine program

Atomo Diagnostics (ASX: AT1) has received a $230,000 order from Thorne Harbour Health for HIV Self Test kits to support a national scale-up of the federal government’s CONNECT program, which provides free kits through vending machines.

Thorne’s order will supply kits to machines across South Australia and Victoria as part of the government’s pilot program under the May 2024 budget designed to encourage self-testing procedures for HIV .

Atomo expects a significant portion of the total $43.9 million committed in the budget to HIV prevention will be used for the procurement of more of its kits.

MyTest program

The CONNECT initiative reflects an increasing use of at-home testing to cost-effectively address public health challenges.

It is separate from the MyTest vending machine program being run by the New South Wales government, which provides free HIV self-test kits across Sydney and statewide.

MyTest is focused on supporting people who have never been tested for HIV or those who infrequently test and are not engaged in primary care and also targets those who face barriers to regular sexual health testing due to health insurance or Medicare ineligibility.

The program engaged Atomo in June 2024 to be the official supplier of kits for MyTest.

Step forward

Atomo chief executive officer John Kelly said the CONNECT scale-up marked a significant step forward in the use of HIV self-testing by the public.

“We are excited about the growing adoption of self-testing kits as critical to the government’s fight against HIV,” he said.

“We look forward to continuing our work with Thorne and others to ensure that tests are readily available in the community where needed.”

ARTG inclusion

Atomo’s single-use HIV Self Test kit is the only one of its kind included on the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods (ARTG).

The blood-based, rapid diagnostic test has been instrumental in the implementation of several pilot programs funded by federal and state governments.

The device, which has shown in laboratory testing to correctly identify 99.6% of HIV-negative and HIV-positive samples, has been recognised globally for its innovative design, performance and convenience.

New Zealand market

Atomo has registered the HIV Self Test kit for import into New Zealand and will launch it across the country this week through the Chemist Warehouse retail pharmacy chain.

“We are pleased to be able to expand our supply into the New Zealand market and we continue to look for international markets where we can secure meaningful pharmacy retail channel access for our HIV product,” Mr Kelly said.

Each kit is discreet, easy to use and provides accurate results in just 15 minutes.