Indigenous diagnostic tool for TB likely in a year: ICMR
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Hyderabad: An indigenous and cost-effective diagnostic tool for tuberculosis (TB) is expected to be available in a year, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) Director General Soumya Swaminathan said.
"A Bengaluru-based company has made the new diagnostic tool which is going to be more point-of-care and we hope it will be as good as GeneXpert test," she told PTI here on the sidelines of 17th International Congress on Infectious Diseases.
"If our evaluation shows positive result, then it may replace GeneXpert. The idea is to reduce the cost and have an indigenous diagnostic tool," Swaminathan said.
GeneXpert is a popular test for detecting TB that provides result in a couple of hours with minimal hands-on technical time.
"The evaluation will be over in the next three months. If it is found to be good, production will be scaled up. That may take another six months or so. It maybe a year before the diagnostic tool is available," she said.
"A Bengaluru-based company has made the new diagnostic tool which is going to be more point-of-care and we hope it will be as good as GeneXpert test," she told PTI here on the sidelines of 17th International Congress on Infectious Diseases.
"If our evaluation shows positive result, then it may replace GeneXpert. The idea is to reduce the cost and have an indigenous diagnostic tool," Swaminathan said.
GeneXpert is a popular test for detecting TB that provides result in a couple of hours with minimal hands-on technical time.
"The evaluation will be over in the next three months. If it is found to be good, production will be scaled up. That may take another six months or so. It maybe a year before the diagnostic tool is available," she said.
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