Halifax, Nova Scotia – (June 10, 2021) – Sixth Wave Innovations Inc. (CSE:SIXW) (OTCQB:ATURF) (FSE:AHUH) (“Sixth Wave”, “SIXW” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that it has successfully demonstrated the detection of SARS-CoV-2 variants, the virus that causes COVID-19 (the “Virus”), using two independent techniques: a color-based sensor and independently verified on a Quartz Crystal Microbalance (QCM) based AMIP sensor. The Sensors use the Company’s patent-pending Accelerated Molecular Imprinted Polymers (“AMIPs™”) technology.
The virus variants detected include the UK variant and the South African variant. The samples were run in cell culture supernatant to allow for basic specificity parameters. Both the QCM and fluorescent-based sensors demonstrated significant signal compared to the negative control (cell culture supernatant without virus).
The color-based sensor testing using a pseudo-ELISA test format (pseudo-ELISA – demonstrated functionality similar to an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (“ELISA”) test), and was achieved using a commercial off-the-shelf fluorescent dye. The test work was performed under the direction of Dr. Michael Joyce (UofA Department of Medical Microbiology) at the La Ki Shing Institute of Virology (“LKS”) at the University of Alberta.
The worldwide spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has led to virus mutation and the rise of variants with new properties such as increased virulence, morbidity, and mortality. There are documented cases of new variants circumventing the human immune system and causing reinfection and drastically reduced efficacy of certain vaccines. MIP technology has the potential to keep pace with this constantly changing diagnostic environment in a rapid detection device format.
“The flexibility and robustness of the AMIPs platform was demonstrated again. These preliminary results give evidence to the claims that AMIP technology is resistant to loss of efficacy due to virus mutation and new variants. By imprinting and detecting the whole virus AMIPs can be highly resistant to virus mutation compared to other technologies such as immunoassay-based techniques that use antibodies which bind a small region of the virus spike protein. This technology has the potential to give healthcare workers peace of mind that the testing protocol they are using isn’t outdated and obsolete in the world of rapidly evolving viruses.”
Sixth Wave continues to expand the capabilities of the AMIP diagnostic platform as it works on improving the specificity and sensitivity in their prototype devices.
The Company intends to use the Colorimetric Sensor as a unique feature of planned development and scale-up of a wide range of AMIPs Virus rapid detection devices. The spectrum of prospective products will include SIXW’s SmartMask™ offerings (see SIXW Press Release dated May 15, 2020), in addition to smart-clothing and PPE applications, airborne sensors, breathalyzers, ELISA-based technologies, cartridge/lateral flow designs, and others.
As previously reported, SIXW has filed two patents regarding AMIPs™ technology and applications to specific products that can utilize AMIPs™. The Company is not making any express or implied claims that its current AMIPs™ product has the ability to eliminate, cure, contain, or detect, at a commercial level, COVID-19 (or SARS-2 coronavirus) at this time.
For more information on the AMIPs™ and associated molecular imprinting technology, please visit: https://www.amips.com
About Sixth Wave
Sixth Wave is a nanotechnology company with patented technologies that focus on extraction and detection of target substances at the molecular level using highly specialized Molecularly Imprinted Polymers (MIPs). The Company is in the process of a commercial rollout of its Affinity™ cannabinoid purification system, as well as, IXOS®, a line of extraction polymers for the gold mining industry. The Company is in the development stages of a rapid diagnostic test for viruses under the Accelerated MIPs (AMIPs™) label.
Sixth Wave can design, develop and commercialize MIP solutions across a broad spectrum of industries. The company is focused on nanotechnology architectures that are highly relevant for the detection and separation of viruses, biogenic amines, and other pathogens, for which the Company has products at various stages of development.
For more information about Sixth Wave, please visit our website at: www.sixthwave.com
ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS
“Jonathan Gluckman”
Jonathan Gluckman, Ph.D., President & CEO
For information, please contact the Company:
Phone: (801) 582-0559
E-mail: info@sixthwave.com
Cautionary Notes
This press release includes certain statements that may be deemed “forward-looking statements” including statements regarding the planned use of proceeds and performance of the AMIPs™ technologies. All statements in this release, other than statements of historical facts, that address future events or developments that the Company expects, are forward-looking statements. Although the Company believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, such statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual events or developments may differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause the Company’s actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. In particular, successful development and commercialization of the AMIPs™ technology are subject to the risk that the AMIPs™ technology may not prove to be successful in detecting virus targets effectively or at all, the uncertainty of medical product development, the uncertainty of timing or availability of required regulatory approvals, lack of track record of developing products for medical applications and the need for additional capital to carry out product development activities. The value of any products ultimately developed could be negatively impacted if the patent is not granted. The Company has not yet completed the development of a prototype for the product that is subject to its patent application and has not yet applied for regulatory approval for the use of this product from any regulatory agency.
