South Korean biopharmaceutical company Celltrion Inc. said Thursday that its self-diagnostic kit for COVID-19 is available for purchase on global retailer Amazon.

Celltrion DiaTrust COVID-19 Ag Home Test, co-developed by local health care business Humasis, received the US Food and Drug Administration's Emergency Use Authorization approval last year.

The product is supplied through Amazon after Celltrion directly signed a contract with the world's largest online retailer.

Celltrion said Amazon directly buys the self-test kits from Celltrion USA, which handles Celltrion's overseas business, without going through wholesalers.

"Celltrion DiaTrust COVID-19 Ag Home Test is the only homegrown COVID-19 self-test kit that has gone on sale on Amazon," said a company official who asked not to be named.

The product uses an antibody that specifically binds to the COVID-19 virus and detects infection within 15 minutes, Celltrion said. It is most suitable for identifying acute or early infection of the COVID-19 virus.

The self-test kit has also won approval for emergency use by other countries, including South Korea. It is also used in several European countries. (Yonhap)