On May 9, 2025, The World Health Organization (WHO) and Medicines Patent Pool (MPP) announced a sublicensing agreement between MPP and a Nigerian health technology company – Codix Bio – to start development and manufacturing of rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) using technology transferred from global in-vitro diagnostics company – SD Biosensor (SDB).

This agreement will contribute to advancing equitable access to vital diagnostic tools through local production, expanding manufacturing capacity in the African Region. The new RDT technology is especially useful for low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), as it is easy to use in health facilities without requiring additional equipment.

Tests are highly sensitive and can generate results within 20 minutes. Codix Bio will initially focus on producing RDTs for HIV, but the technology can also be used for manufacturing tests for malaria and syphilis, among others. It can also be quickly adapted to other diseases, which will prove valuable during health emergencies and pandemics, contributing to improvements in health security and equity.

The Health Technology Access Programme will coordinate support from across WHO and its partners, covering areas such as workforce development, regulatory compliance and product uptake. It is also continuing with evaluations for a potential second sublicensee for this technology transfer.

Most LMICs rely on importing health diagnostics. Following fragility and heavy dependence on imported health product supplies during the COVID-19 pandemic and important lessons learnt for regional health security, there is growing momentum for improving local production and supply resilience, including by institutions such as the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), the Global Fund and Unitaid.