TCM LIMITED rolls out the first batch of Covid19 RT-qPCR Test Kits to reach the capacity for 50,000 tests per day in a week's time

TCM Limited has rolled out "Covi-DetecT" on commercial basis, our branded Covid 19 RT-qPCRtest kits based on a technology developed by IIT Delhi. Our Companyis among the six companies chosen by IIT Delhi nationwide to manufacture the much-awaited Covid test kits. Announcing this here in Kochi, Joseph Varghese, Managing Director, TCM Ltd, said "Covi-DetecT" has thus become the first and the only Real Time PCR based Covid test kit manufactured in Kerala and will take the region's fight against the dreaded diseases a longway. "Our fully-equipped unit in Kinfra Biotechnology and Industrial Zone here has already reached a capacity for 1O,000 tests per day and 'in a week's time will produce 500 kits per day which is good for 50,000 tests per day," he said.

He also said that currently Kerala is fully dependent on supplies from other states for Covid tests, which normally take a minimum of 48 to 72-hours, some time even more time to reach the state through a dry-icepacked journey. In such cases, chances of quality deterioration are comparatively higher as against our capability to deliver the Kerala-made kits within 4-5 hours anywhere across the state. Covid 19 test kits are to be kept under minus 20°ree; at all times and any variation will affect quality. Also, local labs do not need to stock the test kits in big quantities now, as they are made and available within the close proximity. And of course, there will be price advantages too," he said.

Presently, the number of Covid tests done in the state hovers around 40 to 50,000 and the national average is over 1 million tests per day. "With costs comingdown, we could increase the number of tests and reach out to all the nook and comers of the country. The aim should be escalating the number of tests done at government laboratories and hospitals with an affordable cost and maximum reachability. We are ready to sell "Covi-DetecT" to the government at near-cost prices and join the bandwagon to fight the dreaded disease" Joseph Varghese added.

Manju Abraham, Chief Scientific Officer, TCM Healthcare Pvt Ltd, a fully-owned subsidiary of TCM Ltd which is looking after the manufacturing, said the RT-PCR assay developed by IIT-Delhi is by far the surest method available in India as it identifying the RNA region Glycoprotein expressed on the surface of the virus. Normally, like all viruses, novel corona virus also undergoes quick mutations and changes and thus may get unidentified in most of the test methods presently prevalent in the country. IIT-Delhi's method chooses the region of the virus where this mutation is least affected and thus ensures there will not be any false-negative cases. It takes a human gene also along in the test and thus does away with any possibility of mistakes during serum collection and RNA segregation. Also, the user-friendly graphic user interface (GUI)software supplied along with the kits to the labs helps the management of data including results and segregation easy and faster. Normally, it takes hours and with this GUI, it only takes seconds, Ms. Manju Abraham added. She also said as tt's a newly found disease, such tests normally require a lot of experience and precision but with the help of this GUI, it's a lot easier.

Mr. Joseph Varghese explained that the IIT-D developed kits do not depend on imported fluorescent profiles, resulting in the cost difference. Once demand from south Indian states are met, the company wants to spread the production nationwide.

Source : Equity Bulls

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