Curative (company)

Curative Inc.

Company type	Private
Industry	Healthcare, Medical technology
Founded	January 2020 (2020-01)
Founder	Fred Turner, Isaac Turner, Vlad Slepnev
Headquarters	Austin , United States
Area served	United States
Products	COVID-19 diagnostic tests, COVID-19 vaccination services, Health insurance plans
Number of employees	3000+ (2022)
Website	curative.com

Curative Inc. is a healthcare startup recognized for its rapid expansion of COVID-19 testing and vaccination services during the global pandemic. In September 2022, the company introduced Curative Insurance Company, providing a health insurance plan that eliminates copayments and deductibles. Based in Austin, Texas, Curative employs more than 3,000 individuals nationwide. Established in January 2020 by Fred Turner, Isaac Turner, and Vlad Slepnev, the firm initially focused on creating diagnostic tests for sepsis before swiftly shifting its efforts in March 2020 to meet the urgent demand for COVID-19 testing.

The company engineered a novel oral swab test for SARS-CoV-2 that minimized healthcare worker exposure and reduced personal protective equipment consumption. Curative implemented a self-reliant manufacturing and supply chain approach to avoid competing for scarce resources. In April 2020, the FDA granted Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for Curative’s test. By October of the same year, Curative was responsible for nearly 10% of all COVID-19 tests conducted in the United States, achieving a weekly testing capacity of one million. It administered over two million tests in Los Angeles alone and expanded its operations to include management of testing sites along with proprietary reporting software.

Beginning in December 2020, Curative broadened its offerings to encompass COVID-19 vaccine distribution, site oversight, and vaccine management systems on a national scale. By December 2022, affiliated providers had administered more than 35 million tests and two million vaccine doses.

In the third quarter of 2022, Curative started scaling back its COVID-19 testing operations while launching an employer-focused PPO health insurance plan characterized by a single monthly premium without extra charges for most services or medications within its extensive network of physicians and drug formulary. This plan prioritizes preventive healthcare through active engagement with members. Initially rolled out in Austin, Texas, it is slated for statewide expansion throughout 2023.

As of December 31, 2022, Curative completely divested from its COVID-19 service ventures to dedicate itself solely to health insurance activities in 2023.

History

Curative, Inc. was founded in January 2020 by Fred Turner, Isaac Turner (unrelated), and Vlad Slepnev with the goal of developing diagnostic solutions for sepsis detection. When the COVID-19 pandemic created shortages in test kits, laboratory capacity, and PPE across the United States in March 2020, the company shifted focus to address these critical needs by concentrating on COVID-19 testing. It devised a self-collected oral fluid swab test alongside an independent supply chain strategy designed to avoid direct competition with other testing providers. In March, supervised self-collection trials using the SARS-CoV-2 Assay commenced in Los Angeles and Long Beach.

The RT-PCR-based SARS-CoV-2 Assay developed by Curative received FDA Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) in April 2020. Initially, testing was conducted through a collaboration with KorvaLabs, which had a capacity of processing 5,000 tests daily and producing 20,000 test kits each day. The U.S. Department of Defense entered into a $13 million contract with Curative to supply test kits for Air Force personnel and establish a laboratory capable of processing 50,000 tests per day. By October 2020, Curative handled close to one-tenth of all COVID-19 testing performed nationwide with laboratories operating in San Dimas (California), Austin (Texas), and Washington, D.C.

Following EUA authorization, Curative’s assay was utilized extensively across various sectors including U.S. military operations, correctional facilities, state-run nursing homes and long-term care centers, municipal and regional testing sites, state-wide programs, airports, as well as universities such as Texas A&M and Florida A&M. In July 2020, the Department of Defense awarded Curative a $42 million CARES Act contract to supply 250,000 test kits and provide laboratory services at its high-throughput facility.

In August 2020, Florida contracted Curative to conduct COVID-19 testing within nursing homes and long-term care institutions. Routine biweekly testing contributed to reducing staff positivity rates from 3% down to 1%. Although this contract was not renewed following federal distribution of rapid antigen tests, many Florida nursing homes resumed partnerships with Curative for expanded testing services.

In January 2021, while issuing a Safety Communication regarding potential false-negative results associated with Curative’s test, the FDA reaffirmed that the assay remained authorized under its original EUA conditions.

Towards the end of 2020, Curative experimented with a drive-through influenza vaccination clinic at one of its Los Angeles COVID-19 testing locations as part of efforts to combine testing with immunization services. By December 2020, it had begun distributing COVID-19 vaccines in Los Angeles; by February 2021 this program had grown to include vaccine distribution and clinic management across California, Delaware, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Texas.

Curative SARS-CoV-2 Assay

The Curative SARS-CoV-2 Assay is a nucleic acid amplification test (NAAT), utilizing reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) technology to detect COVID-19. Engineered for high-volume testing, it employs a self-collected oral fluid swab under healthcare worker supervision. Before sample collection, individuals are instructed to cough to release viral particles into the mouth, enhancing detection accuracy. This approach is less intrusive compared to nasopharyngeal swabs, minimizes close contact between patients and healthcare personnel, and decreases the frequency of personal protective equipment (PPE) changes—benefits that proved critical amid global PPE supply constraints.

In July 2021, Curative adopted Abbott Laboratories' Alinity m SARS-CoV-2 Assay and formally requested the FDA to withdraw the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for its original diagnostic test.

Accessible testing

Leveraging its high-throughput testing platform and laboratory capabilities, Curative prioritized expanding COVID-19 test availability nationwide. The company collaborated with numerous municipal, regional, and state authorities across the United States to develop and oversee a variety of testing venues—including drive-through centers, mobile units, kiosks, and walk-up sites—serving both general populations and vulnerable groups. By October 2021, Curative managed a network of 16,557 testing locations employing these different formats throughout the country.

Vaccinations

Toward the end of 2020, Curative was among the earliest organizations to provide COVID-19 vaccinations in Los Angeles following public distribution of vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna. Utilizing its extensive COVID-19 testing infrastructure as a foundation, the company designed a comprehensive vaccine distribution and administration program. By February 2021, Curative had established partnerships with communities in California, Delaware, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Texas, operating over 170 vaccination sites. These included conventional mass immunization centers, drive-through clinics, and mobile vaccination vans to support widespread and adaptable vaccine delivery.

Awards

In 2020, Curative, Inc. was recognized as a LinkedIn Top Startup and honored with the 2020 dot.LA Summit Award for Pivot of the Year. The following year, Curative received the Best Medtech Startup award at the Medtech Breakthrough Awards, was shortlisted as a finalist in the Pandemic Response category, and earned honorable mentions in both the Health category and Fast Company's Best Place to Work for Innovators Award within the 2021 World Changing Ideas Awards.

References

'*A Baseline Visit is required for members to qualify for no copays and no deductibles on in-network care and preferred prescriptions throughout the calendar year.

'** Curative Insurance Company

External links

• Bloomberg Businessweek Hello World Episode