The National Institutes of Health said Oct. 25 it is investing $70 million to bring more at-home COVID-19 tests to market.
The NIH's Independent Test Assessment Program plans to establish an accelerated pathway to help the FDA find test manufacturers that can make their tests at a significant scale. The NIH said the goal is to accelerate the availability of more high-quality, accurate over-the-counter tests to the public as quickly as possible.
"Access to easy-to-use, affordable and reliable COVID tests is key to bringing peace of mind to our families, especially as we approach winter," HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra said in a news release.
The NIH program aims to increase over-the-counter testing options to increase overall supply and potentially lower testing costs.
The FDA also said that it has authorized the 10th over-the-counter COVID-19 test, a rapid antigen test called DiaTrust, made by Celltrion.
Read the full news release here.