New OKC biotech to supply at-home COVID-19 test

Wheeler Labs will bring to market Oklahoma’s first non-invasive, direct-to-patient, at-home COVID-19 test, benefiting businesses through bulk ordering capabilities, so employers can easily provide non-invasive testing to their employees. Tests can be performed at home, the office or the job site. Additionally, Wheeler Labs' kit is a molecular genetic test and not a rapid antigen test, which can be less accurate. Access to high-quality COVID testing is critical to keeping businesses safe and open. 

Tests are now available for ordering. Results are provided within 72 hours of Wheeler Labs' receipt of the sample. However, most results are available within 24 to 48 hours of receipt.

Wheeler Labs' test kits allow those potentially exposed to the virus to test themselves without the need to set appointments or leave their homes, and make it easy to know if it is safe to return to work.

“As the number of new cases, positivity rates and suffering continue to climb in our part of the country, we felt compelled to act. Since there are challenges in finding rapid testing options, especially in rural parts of the state, we wanted to make the testing process easy, fast and accessible without sacrificing accuracy,” stated Dr. Jesse McCool, CEO of Wheeler Labs. “The convenience of the Wheeler process allows people to test from home – or anywhere – and mail their self-collected samples back to our lab for gold standard testing.”

McCool, who previously led Oklahoma’s largest biologics manufacturing company, is a Ph.D. scientist and business leader with a track record of starting labs and building teams to take on complex biotech endeavors. He moved to Oklahoma from Boston in 2013 to help build out the emerging biotech industry in Oklahoma City. Before founding Wheeler Labs, McCool served in various technical and leadership roles in several biotechs, including Lonza Pharma & Biotech, a global leader in GMP biologics contract manufacturing.

Wheeler expects to ramp up quickly to 25 employees, supporting the local community and local economy.

“Our singular focus right now is on supporting the safe reopening of Oklahoma, back-to-work strategies and monitoring of the infection across our state. Our CLIA-certified laboratory is run by an Oklahoma workforce trained in high-complexity diagnostics. We are here to help!” explained Dr. McCool.

Wheeler recently finalized its seed round of funding led by Echo Investment Capital and is located at the OU Health Sciences Center Research Park.

About Wheeler Labs

Wheeler Labs is a start-up clinical laboratory developing high-complexity testing services. With an initial focus on meeting a critical healthcare need in Oklahoma, Wheeler plans to expand its offerings with medical genetic testing for patients and physicians seeking to diagnose genetic disease. We are strategically partnered with Phosphorus Diagnostics to more rapidly bring valuable, accurate and accessible testing services to Oklahomans. The company is located in the heart of Oklahoma City’s Innovation District. Learn more at Wheeler-Labs.com.