Sixth Wave (SIXW.C) demonstrates AMIP technology can detect Delta variant

Often, when I specifically criticise a company for something and tell them to ‘do better’ as the kids say on Twitter dot com, and then they go and do the thing I said they should do, it can cause a variety of reactions in me. On the one hand, they did the thing I wanted them to do. I thought they needed to X to succeed, and they did it, so good for them. On the other hand, it does not age my take well. On the third hand, perhaps it’s just a case of great minds thinking alike.

Which brings us to Sixth Wave Innovations (SIXW.C), who recently announced that they demonstrated that their AMIP COVID-19 detection technology can spot the SARS-CoV-2 Delta variant.

Last week, I wrote “Now, nobody seems to care about the British variant, and it’s the Delta variant that’s grabbing headlines these days, having become the dominant strain worldwide. The B.1.1.7 variant was identified in December and Sixth Wave only proved that the AMIP system could spot it by June, so if they want to use their system on the Delta they should act faster this time, as at the same pace as before, by the time they prove their system can identify the Delta variant we will already be on the Theta variant.”

Well, they definitely acted faster, this time. Although the Delta variant was first identified in December, it only became dominant in the West sometime between May and July, and continues to dominate headlines, with many places seeing new waves of COVID-19 cases due to the variant’s increased transmissibility.

“In the span of just a few months, we have validated detection of the critical variants of the COVID-19 virus and have moved significantly toward detection levels that are clinically relevant,” stated Dr. Jon Gluckman, President and CEO of Sixth Wave. “The continued successes in the development of the AMIPs platform are compelling and a testament to the work of the combined Sixth Wave and University of Alberta team.”

The AMIP (which stands for Accelerated Molecular Imprinted Polymers) uses a colorimetric detection method that allows it to identifies the presence of a target by means of a colour regent, allowing you to see the presence of a target by observing a change in colour.

The AMIP technology basically allows you to spot the virus. Sixth Wave is also working on research that would allow them to detect pathogens, not just in the air, but also in water and wastewater environments. The system can not only detect COVID-19, but also other viruses and bacteria, giving it usefulness even beyond the COVID-19 pandemic.

“By imprinting and detecting the whole virus, AMIPs can be highly resistant to virus mutation compared to technologies such as immunoassay-based techniques that use antibodies that bind a small region of the virus spike protein,” commented Dr. Gluckman. “The project is now focused on achieving additional sensitivity, and is testing selectivity against other viruses and potential interferents that would be present in clinical samples.”