Federal regulators revoked the authorization of a COVID-19 test that has been given to millions of people for free across the country, including hundreds of thousands in Los Angeles.
The Food and Drug Administration said Curative, the Southern California startup that had brought in more than $1 billion in revenue through the test, had asked the agency to pull its authorization. The company says it no longer needs to use the unique mouth-swab test.
In January, the FDA had alerted the public that Curative’s test could produce false results, causing people to possibly delay treatment and unknowingly spread the virus.
Fred Turner, the 26-year-old founder of Curative, told The Times earlier this year that the FDA was wrong to question the accuracy of the company’s test. Turner said then that he was working with regulators to change or eliminate the warning, yet the agency has not changed its position.
Read the full story on LATimes.com.
