WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) announced on Monday that Wren Laboratories based in Branford, Conn. has been named “Innovator of the Month.” Wren, a state-of-the-art molecular genomics testing company that employs 25 people, was established in 2010 by two former Yale faculty, Irvin Modlin, MD and Mark Kidd, Ph.D. to develop liquid biopsy molecular diagnostic tests for cancer and viral diseases.

Wren’s NETest is a unique proprietary test used to diagnose and monitor neuroendocrine tumor disease. The company is also developing liquid biopsy diagnostic tools for prostate, colon, breast, lung, melanoma, and myeloma cancers that are the basis for personalized oncological medicine, as well as saliva-based diagnostics for various viral diseases.

Based on a request from the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Wren recently introduced a saliva-based COVID-19 PCR detection testing system. In November 2020, Wren received Emergency Use Authorizations from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its first-of-its-kind collection kit designed to be used for home, school, or workplace testing without medical personnel. The test includes a special buffer that stabilizes the viral signature ensuring accuracy as well as neutralizing the virus in the saliva, which reduces any possible harmful exposure in transit. Wren technology allows for accurate (>99%) quantification/detection of the virus that causes COVID-19.

Wren’s PCR saliva tests are shipped directly to the home or workplace and take 1-2 minutes to collect the saliva. Results are provided within 24 hours after the testing kits are received at Wren Laboratories. Real-time information is critical for effective clinical management of both individuals and businesses.

“Manufacturers all across Connecticut like Wren Laboratories have stepped up and transformed their production lines to help combat this virus,” said Murphy. “Wren’s at-home test is a huge breakthrough, and thanks to President Biden fully deploying the Defense Production Act, testing capacity will have the full weight of the federal government to ramp up production in order to make tests more widely available. I applaud the work Dr. Modlin and Wren Laboratories are doing to streamline detection to help us combat this global health crisis and diagnose other diseases.”

“As we’ve seen this past year, the need for accurate, state-of-the-art testing is crucial to detecting and treating any disease. Wren is committed to providing innovative science and technology solutions that improve the health of the population and combat diseases like COVID and cancer,” said Dr. Modlin. “We will continue to do our part to keep Connecticut at the forefront of innovation and science as we work to develop new and innovative tools to combat disease and improve quality of life.” 

Murphy has been outspoken in calling for the federalization the medical supply chain. Last month, Murphy and U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin led their colleagues in supporting the incoming administration’s plan to quickly utilize all available authorities under the Defense Production Act (DPA) to rapidly increase the production and stockpiling of medical, testing and protective equipment supplies.

Murphy believes entrepreneurship and innovation are the building blocks for a strong economy. In the U.S. Senate, he has introduced two bipartisan pieces of legislation to incentivize angel investors to put more money into startup companies—the Angel Tax Credit Act and the Helping Angels Lead Our Startups (HALOS) Act. Startup companies create an average of 2 million jobs each year.

###