Speed Post News Network
New Delhi : Pune-based Mylab Discovery Solutions has scaled up its production and development of COVID-19 pathodetect testing kit with the help of strategic funding under National Biopharma Mission of Department of Biotechnology (DBT)-Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).
Hasmukh Rawal, MD, Mylab Discovery Solutions, said, “We are very thankful to Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council for hand holding us when no one believed us. With the funds we would really be able to accelerate our process of the production.”
Dr Renu Swarup, Secretary, DBT and Chairperson BIRAC, said “in our fight against the current pandemic, having indigenous supplies of qualitative RT-PCR test kits was identified as a critical need in enhancing the testing ability across the country. Therefore scale-up of Mylab’s pathodetect production was a step DBT took very early in that direction. This production line at Mylab manufactures rapid, high throughput detection platform and is aligned with our the Prime Minister’s vision of AtmaNirbhar Bharat.”
Currently, Mylab has a manufacturing capacity of 2,00,000 RT-PCR and 50,000 RNA tests. Mylab has obtained CDSCO/India-FDA and ICMR approval to manufacture for NAT, HIV, HBV, HCV, and for detection of novel coronavirus 2019-n COV/SARS-COV-2.
The company has recently launched a Molecular laboratory machine Compact XL that can manufacture various reagents as well as perform many molecular tests in a single machine unit. The machine will help India in setting up the Molecular Diagnostic labs in rural India as it eliminates huge infrastructure costs, Capex and Opex costs since minimal number of employees can do a large number of tests, according to a PIB release.
About DBT : The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), under the Ministry of Science & Technology, promotes and accelerates the development of biotechnology in India, including growth and application of biotechnology in the areas of agriculture, healthcare, animal sciences, environment and industry.
About BIRAC: Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC) is a not-for-profit Section 8, Schedule B, Public Sector Enterprise, set up by Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India, as an Interface Agency to strengthen and empower the emerging Biotech enterprise to undertake strategic research and innovation, addressing nationally relevant product development needs.