Mylab joins hands with Syngene to cater to rising demand for COVID-19 testing kits

Pune-based molecular diagnostics company Mylab Discovery Solutions on Friday said it has joined hands with global contract research organisation Syngene to cater to the country's demand for RT-PCR COVID-19 testing kits amid the pandemic.

This is an important step to make India self-reliant in COVID-19 testing, Mylab said in a statement.

After partnerships with Serum Institute and AP Globale to scale up its manufacturing operations, this collaboration with Syngene will help Mylab secure a steady supply of indigenously made raw materials, it added.

This will help in meeting the demand of RT-PCR-based COVID-19 testing kits in the country and reduce uncertainties, the statement said.

 

Biocon Executive Chairperson Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw said, "We are pleased with this partnership to make it a truly indigenous kit."

In similar vein, Serum Institute of India CEO Adar Poonawalla said India's response to COVID-19 has affirmed its global leadership.

The CEO said he is happy to have a partnership with Syngene International to make Mylab's COVID-19 testing kit more indigenous, reducing dependency on foreign raw materials and to further strengthen India's self-reliance in response to COVID-19, he added.

"With this collaboration, we will reduce the dependence of India on foreign testing kits and deliver our own Indian testing kits," Poonawalla said.

After receiving ICMR and drug and medical device regulator CDSCO approval, Mylab has already supplied testing kits to ICMR-approved labs in over 20 states, the statement said.

"It is great to see how the leaders of Indian biotechnology industry have come together and are leading by example. With their help, India will not have to depend on other countries to test its citizens for COVID-19," Mylab Discovery Solutions MD Hasmukh Rawal said.

Mylab has been scaling up its production and will be able to deliver a total of 700,000 RT-PCR tests before May 3, 2020, the statement said.