On Mar. 23, 2020, Heat Biologics announced that it was collaborating with the University of Miami to develop a proprietary UM COVID-19 point-of-care diagnostic test. The new, patient-friendly test required a simple pharyngeal throat swab to deliver on-the-spot results on a paper strip in under 30 minutes.

Preliminary research suggested the new test was specific to the novel coronavirus, with no cross-reaction to previous coronavirus subtypes. The test was designed to enable cost-effective manufacturing amenable for mass production and deployment around the world.