Clinical Enterprise, Inc. and Ginkgo Bioworks to Continue Support of Federal COVID-19 Testing Program Through 2022

Rhea-AI Summary

Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA) extends its partnership with Clinical Enterprise to support the federal Operation Expanded Testing program, providing no-cost COVID-19 testing through December 31, 2022. This program serves vulnerable communities across the Northeast and South regions of the U.S., including K-12 schools and correctional facilities. With participation from over 1,800 organizations, the initiative aims to enhance testing equity. Key executives expressed commitment to empowering local communities and addressing asymptomatic infections.

Positive

• Extended partnership with Clinical Enterprise supports ongoing COVID-19 testing efforts.
• No-cost testing will continue through December 2022, covering 1,800+ organizations.
• Strengthens community health access, particularly for vulnerable populations.

Negative

• Partnership duration ending in December may limit future testing support.
• Dependence on government funding raises sustainability concerns for testing operations.

The partners will continue to support communities in need with no-cost COVID-19 testing through the end of the year via the federal Operation Expanded Testing program

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. & BOSTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Clinical Enterprise, Inc., a member of the Eurofins Clinical Diagnostic group of companies, today announced that it is extending its partnership with Ginkgo Bioworks (NYSE: DNA) to continue supporting the Operation Expanded Testing program with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Department of Defense. The partnership will continue until December 31, 2022.

Operation Expanded Testing provides fully federally funded COVID-19 testing to K-12 schools, Historically Black Colleges & Universities, early childhood learning centers, and other congregate settings like correctional facilities, long-term care communities and homeless shelters. By serving vulnerable populations and under-resourced communities, the program aims to promote equity in COVID-19 testing and mitigation. Through this extended partnership, Operation Expanded Testing will continue serving over 1,800 different organizations across the Northeast and South regions of the United States.

Clinical Enterprise has worked with Ginkgo Bioworks through its biosecurity and public health initiative, Concentric by Ginkgo, to provide testing services that can help detect asymptomatic infections to reduce transmission, prevent outbreaks, and protect vulnerable populations.

“Through this ongoing partnership with Clinical Enterprise, we’ve been able to equip community leaders with tools they can use to generate the information they need to protect the most vulnerable members of their communities,” said Matt McKnight, General Manager for Biosecurity at Ginkgo Bioworks. “We are proud to be building a testing and monitoring platform to empower local communities to make timely and targeted interventions to defend against infection.”

To date, Clinical Enterprise has enrolled under the Other Transaction agreement (OTA) schools and organizations in 26 states in the Northeast and South regions, as well as Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

To learn more, please visit www.OperationExpandedTesting.com

This project has been funded in whole or in part by the U.S. Government under Other Transaction Agreement No. W52P1J-21-9-200. The U.S. Government is authorized to reproduce and distribute reprints for Governmental purposes notwithstanding any copyright notation thereon.

About Eurofins – the global leader in bio-analysis

Eurofins is Testing for Life. Eurofins is the global leader in food, environment, pharmaceutical and cosmetic product testing, and in discovery pharmacology, forensics, advanced material sciences and agroscience Contract Research services. Eurofins is also a market leader in certain testing and laboratory services for genomics, and in the support of clinical studies, as well as in BioPharma Contract Development and Manufacturing. The Group also has a rapidly developing presence in highly specialized and molecular clinical diagnostic testing and in-vitro diagnostic products.

With over 61,000 staff across a network of 940 laboratories in 59 countries, Eurofins’ companies offer a portfolio of over 200,000 analytical methods.

Eurofins Shares are listed on Euronext Paris Stock Exchange.

Clinical Enterprise, Inc., is a member of the Eurofins Clinical Diagnostic group of companies.

About Ginkgo Bioworks

Ginkgo is building a platform to enable customers to program cells as easily as we can program computers. The company's platform is enabling biotechnology applications across diverse markets, from food and agriculture to industrial chemicals to pharmaceuticals. Ginkgo has also actively supported a number of COVID-19 response efforts, including K-12 pooled testing, vaccine manufacturing optimization and therapeutics discovery. For more information, visit www.ginkgobioworks.com.

Forward-Looking Statements of Ginkgo Bioworks

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws, including statements regarding the potential success of the partnership and Ginkgo's biosecurity platform. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words "believe," "can," "project," "potential," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "strategy," "future," "opportunity," "plan," "may," "should," "will," "would," "will be," "will continue," "will likely result," and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this press release, including but not limited to: (i) the effect of Ginkgo's business combination with Soaring Eagle Acquisition Corp. ("Soaring Eagle") on Ginkgo's business relationships, performance, and business generally, (ii) risks that the business combination disrupts current plans of Ginkgo and potential difficulties in Ginkgo's employee retention, (iii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Ginkgo related to its business combination with Soaring Eagle, (iv) volatility in the price of Ginkgo's securities now that it is a public company due to a variety of factors, including changes in the competitive and highly regulated industries in which Ginkgo operates and plans to operate, variations in performance across competitors, changes in laws and regulations affecting Ginkgo's business and changes in the combined capital structure, (v) the ability to implement business plans, forecasts, and other expectations after the completion of the business combination, and identify and realize additional opportunities, (vi) the risk of downturns in demand for products using synthetic biology, (vii) the unpredictability of the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and the demand for COVID-19 testing and the commercial viability of our COVID-19 testing business, and (viii) changes to the biosecurity industry, including due to advancements in technology, emerging competition and evolution in industry demands, standards and regulations. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the "Risk Factors" section of Ginkgo's quarterly report on Form 10-Q filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on May 16, 2022 and other documents filed by Ginkgo from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Ginkgo assumes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Ginkgo does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20220728005065/en/

CLINICAL ENTERPRISE, INC. CONTACT:

Tim Makris

TimothyMakris@eurofins-usclinical.com



GINKGO BIOWORKS INVESTOR CONTACT:

investors@ginkgobioworks.com



GINKGO BIOWORKS MEDIA CONTACT:

press@ginkgobioworks.com

Source: Clinical Enterprise, Inc.

FAQ

What is Ginkgo Bioworks' role in the Operation Expanded Testing program?

Ginkgo Bioworks is extending its partnership with Clinical Enterprise to provide no-cost COVID-19 testing through December 2022.

How many organizations are involved in Ginkgo Bioworks' testing initiative?

The program serves over 1,800 organizations across the Northeast and South regions of the U.S.

What types of entities benefit from the Operation Expanded Testing program?

The program provides testing services for K-12 schools, correctional facilities, and other vulnerable communities.

When does the extended partnership between Ginkgo Bioworks and Clinical Enterprise end?

The partnership is set to continue until December 31, 2022.

What challenges might Ginkgo Bioworks face after the partnership ends?

The end of the partnership may limit future support for COVID-19 testing, raising concerns about sustainability.