NT NETWORK

Margao

Goa-based molecular diagnostics company Molbio Diagnostics has won the BioSpectrum product of the year award for its TrueNat TB molecular test that can diagnose tuberculosis in an hour.

The company was also one of the first to develop and test for COVID-19 through its TrueNat COVID-19 test that is currently being widely used across the country.

The Verna-based company was awarded the BioSpectrum Product of the Year Award 2020 for its TrueNat TB, a molecular test that can diagnose TB in one hour as well as test for resistance to the drug rifampicin. Chief executive officer of Molbio Diagnostics, Goa, Sriram Natarajan received the award at a virtual ceremony that was held in March.

The ceremony witnessed the participation of over 200 industry leaders from across the country.

In his acceptance speech, Natarajan said, “TrueNat started as a dream 15 years ago to see how high quality molecular diagnostics can be reached across the country right up to the first point of contact at the primary level. Today, TrueNat globally is the only point of care real-time PCP platform that is completely laboratory independent, portable battery operated with room temperature stability, ready to use reagents. TrueNat for TB has been validated and endorsed by ICMR and WHO as a frontline test for TB as a replacement for smear microscopy.”
Speaking further, about the COVID 19 testing, he said, “TrueNat for COVID 19 was amongst the first real time PCR tests to be approved by ICMR and since then has been at the forefront of COVID testing in India. Today, there are 3,000 TrueNat users in India and there are 35 countries in which TrueNat is being used for TB. In the coming years, TrueNat is expected to play a very significant, dominant role in the global molecular diagnostic segment.”

The TrueNat TB molecular diagnostic test uses only about 0.5ml sample of sputum taken from each patient. The entire setup being battery operated and portable can be easily used in the most basic parts of the healthcare system.