Thermo Fisher Scientific is partnering with home-grown start-up, Mylab, to source RT- PCR kits for infectious diseases, such as multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MTB MDR), Hepatitis B virus (HBV), Hepatitis C virus (HCV), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), genetic analysis (HLA B27), among others.
Hasmukh Rawal, Managing Director, Mylab Discovery Solutions told businessline, it is a manufacturing deal where Mylab would make some kits for Thermo Fisher, and the company would sell some of Mylab’s kits, as well. In fact, some of Mylab’s kits have already received licensing rights from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), he said. The company clocked revenues of about $ 40 million, up to March 2022. Serum Institute’s Adar Poonawalla holds about 49 per cent in Mylab, Rawal said.
Mylab’s portfolio of RT-PCR test kits includes those for MTB MDR, HIV, HBV, HCV, HAV, HPV, and others. In partnership with scientific instruments maker, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Mylab aims to increase the access of the tests to a greater proportion of the population in India and overseas, Mylab said.
“Laboratories in India and globally (that) rely on the innovative products from Thermo Fisher, now will also benefit with a much wider range of quality made-in-India diagnostic tests. Also, we would be assisting in tools for analysis of data to help labs make accurate results to their customers,” said Rawal.
In India, TB, HIV, and viral hepatitis are serious public health problems and timely interventions are needed to achieve the elimination of these diseases by 2030, a note from Mylab said.
“Over the years, India has made significant progress in addressing Hepatitis B and C, HIV, and Tuberculosis. The country has implemented large-scale vaccination and treatment programs, as well as invested in research to better understand the epidemiology of these diseases and develop new diagnostic tools. However, India still faces challenges in controlling the spread of these diseases,” said Jagjit Singh Anthak, Director, Genetic Sciences Group and Specialty Diagnostics Group, Thermo Fisher Scientific, committing to bring in innovations to advance research and diagnosis of these infections.