Prime Minister Narendra Modi will virtually inaugurate three new high-throughput labs of the Indian Council of Medical Research in Noida, Kolkata, and Mumbai at 4.30 PM on 27th July.

The government has adopted the test-track-treat strategy for early detection and containment of the Covid-19 pandemic. According to this, ICMR has ramped up its testing capabilities to effectively deal with the Coronavirus crisis.

The Central Government has already asked the Governments of States and Union Territories to ramp up the testing capacities.The Government said that adding more labs and enhancing the capacity of the approved labs can increase the COVID-19 testing capacities in the country.

Meanwhile, the Department of Biotechnology is supporting. production scale-up of test kits from Mylab.Pune-based Mylab Discovery Solutions has scaled up it's production and development of COVID-19 path detect testing kit with the help of strategic funding under National Biopharma Mission of Department of Biotechnology (DBT)-Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (BIRAC).

HasmukhRawal, 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. RenuSwarup, 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 path detect 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 Hon’ble 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 a minimal number of employees can do a large number of tests.

About DBT

The Department of Biotechnology (DBT), under the Ministry of Science & Technology, promotes and accelerates the development of biotechnology in India, including the 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

About National Biopharma Mission

The Industry-Academia Collaborative Mission of Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Govt of India for accelerating discovery research to early development for Biopharmaceuticals approved by the Cabinet for a total cost US$ 250 million and 50% co-funded by the World Bank is being implemented at Biotechnology Research Assistance Council (BIRAC). This program is dedicated to delivering affordable products to the nation with an aim to improve the health standards of India’s population. Vaccines, medical devices and diagnostics and biotherapeutics are few of its most important domains, besides, strengthening the clinical trial capacity and building technology transfer capabilities in the country.