When the COVID-19 pandemic emerged in early 2020, it quickly became clear that the global healthcare system faced an unprecedented challenge: a severe shortage of diagnostic test kits. With infection rates rising, global supply chains were unable to keep pace, creating an urgent need for reliable, scalable solutions.

Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s Department of Laboratory Medicine, backed by decades of infectious disease diagnostic experience, moved swiftly to address the shortage in partnership with scientists from the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR) — including the Diagnostics Development (DxD) Hub, Bioinformatics Institute (BII), and Experimental Drug Development Centre (EDDC).  This collaboration combined TTSH’s deep clinical and laboratory expertise with A*STAR’s molecular diagnostics capabilities.

Within weeks, the team co-developed Fortitude – Singapore’s first “ready-made” hospital laboratory RT-PCT diagnostic test kit. By February 2020, Fortitude received Provisional Authorisation from Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority (HSA), enabling immediate clinical use in authorised laboratories, boosting national testing capacity.

To scale production quickly, the technology was licensed to MiRXES, a Singapore-based biotechnology company. Manufacturing ramped up from 100,000 kits per week to 500,000 per week within one month. Fortitude kits were deployed to 13 hospitals and laboratories across Singapore and exported to more than 40 countries, with global distribution surpassing 7 million tests.

The Fortitude COVID-19 kit story is a powerful testament to the remarkable impact achieved through collaborative innovation, clinical insight, and swift action, reinforcing the essential role of healthcare institutions in navigating global healthcare crises.