Ross Marowits April 06, 2021 - 12:53 PM Spartan Bioscience Inc. has filed for creditor protection after pausing shipments of its rapid COVID-19 test due to an unspecified issue with the product. The Ottawa-based company said the problem is not a safety issue, and that it's seeking protection from creditors while it restructures its operations and refines the test's performance. Spartan said it's laying off 60 employees, or around 70 per cent of its workforce. Interim CEO Jennifer Ross-Carriere said the company is committed to its technology, customers and partners. "Spartan remains committed to our vision of putting our world-leading mobile DNA-testing technology to work in the fight against COVID-19," she wrote in an email.