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NIV Pune Develops First Indigenous Rapid Antibody Test Kit; Mass Production To Begin Soon
Swarajya Staff
May 11, 2020, 10:36 AM | Updated 10:36 AM IST
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In a major development, the National Institute of Virology (NIV) situated in Pune, Maharashtra has achieved success in developing the nation's first indigenous COVID-19 antibody test kit, reports Financial Express.
The positive development was made public by Union Minister of Health and Family Welfare Dr Harsh Vardhan. He also highlighted that the test kit developed by NIV, Pune boasts of the advantage to test 90 samples in a single run of 2.5 hours.
The test kit's performance was validated at two sites in Mumbai and has been found to have high sensitivity and accuracy. Furthermore, the technology has been transferred to Indian pharmaceutical giant Zydus Cadila to ensure mass production of the same. The Drug Controller General has granted commercial production and marketing permission to the company.
The development gains much significance as it comes in the backdrop of the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) having cancelled orders for over half a million rapid antibody test kits from China after those were found to be delivering inaccurate results.
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