Mylab pitches in to develop test kits for Monkeypox

Molecular diagnostics company Mylab Discovery Solutions, which launched India's first indigenously-developed RT-PCR test kit for Covid-19, is ready to join hands with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) to make diagnostic kits for the monkeypox virus, people in the know said.

ICMR--India's top health research centre--had last week invited expression of interest (EoI) from vaccine manufacturers to develop a vaccine against monkeypox. Manufacturers of diagnostic kits were also asked to respond to the EoI by August 10.

Till Tuesday, four companies had come forward to produce the vaccine, and four companies, including Mylab, had approached the ICMR to make the detection kits.

Hasmukh Rawal, promoter and managing director of Mylab, confirmed that the company has approached ICMR for developing the diagnostic kit.

"Though we think it will not affect a larger segment of the population like Covid, but we would like to be prepared and ready if people in the country need quality solutions for detection and treatment," Rawal told ET.

The ICMR had earlier said it was in possession of characterised monkeypox virus isolates/strain and was willing to collaborate with experienced vaccine manufacturers, as well as in-vitro diagnostics (IVD) manufacturers on "royalty basis" on fixed term contract condition for undertaking R&D and manufacturing activities for joint development and validation of five potential vaccine candidates against monkeypox disease, and development of diagnostic kit (IVD) for detection of the monkeypox virus, leading to product development.