AN IDEA WHOSE TIME HAS COME 

Brand Molbio is democratizing advanced healthcare – namely early diagnosis, prevention and evidence-based treatment - by decentralizing the Gold standard of molecular diagnosis. 

CAPTURING BRAND MOLBIO IN A NUTSHELL 

Molbio Diagnostics is an innovative Indian In-Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) company that aims to decentralize and democratize access to high quality diagnostics across the world through novel, near patient and point of care solutions. 

Its widely acclaimed ‘Truenat® Real-Time PCR’ is the first such platform to be commercialized that has enabled even highly resource limited settings to conduct sophisticated molecular diagnostics as the frontline test for multiple diseases, thus bringing in a paradigm shift to disease control and management and creating a huge impact on patient and societal well-being.

The Truenat® platform comprises of fully automated, battery operated, portable and rugged machines and ready to use, room temperature stable, long shelf-life reagents and consumables. The single testing capability allows sample to result in one hour that ensures same day treatment initiation. Currently the platform can test over 30 different diseases such as Tuberculosis, Covid-19, Dengue, Chikungunya, H1N1, Hepatitis, HIV, Chlamydia, HPV, etc. with tests for over 30 additional diseases in the pipeline.

Real-time data transfer facility enables remote intervention and is also useful for programmatic management of diseases by providing instant insight to disease prevalence, hot spot monitoring, and various analytics and as a location and inventory management tool.

A MUCH NEEDED DISRUPTION 

The outbreak of Covid-19 has dramatically increased the need for RT PCR tests. This has significantly increased the number of labs doing molecular testing in the country. With the growing awareness, the demand for early diagnosis of infectious diseases is high, and various public and private organizations are investing funds to accelerate R&D in the field of molecular diagnostics. The increasing prevalence of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, hepatitis B, and hepatitis C, coupled with tests for sexually transmitted diseases/infections like HIV and HPV will propel the segment’s growth and molecular testing is expected to become more of a routine clinical diagnostics tool not only for Covid but for a wide range of infectious diseases in the near future. Further, point of care molecular tools such as Truenat will help in providing equal access to high-quality diagnostics across all segments of society, to minimize the devastating impact of delayed diagnosis.

THE BIG IDEA 

Molecular Diagnostics - such as Real-Time PCR - is a state-of-the-art infectious disease testing. It works on the principle of DNA/RNA amplification, hence provides the ability to diagnose disease early in infection because of its excellent sensitivity and specificity. Molecular diagnostics was an underserved segment in the Indian diagnostics scenario for a very long time, especially the Real Time PCR technique that was invented several decades ago and is considered the gold standard for diagnosing many diseases. The primary reason for this was the highly centralized nature of molecular diagnostic platforms owing to high level of infrastructure and skill dependence, the need for batch testing, logistics issues of sample transportation and the consequent long turnaround time for results. Hence, their usage was limited to confirmatory testing which was available at only a few centralized laboratories and hospitals in major Indian cities and never became impactful as a routine diagnostic tool.

The big idea was to decentralize this technology and make it universally accessible and affordable to enable its uptake for routine screening and diagnostic purposes. This would enable early and accurate diagnosis and initiation of evidence-based treatment resulting in patient well being as well as prevention of further spread of the disease. 

Today, Truenat is globally the only point-of-care RT PCR system that decentralizes and expands access to the gold standard technique through its portable, battery-operated, user-friendly machines and ready to use, room temperature stable reagents. With its single testing capability, the platform operates without the need for skilled manpower or laboratory infrastructure, returning results within one hour of sample collection. Hence, it enables same day reporting of results and initiation of evidence-based treatment for the patient. It also has in-built wireless data transfer capability (through Wifi/GSM/Bluetooth) for providing telemedicine services and real-time disease monitoring and surveillance. With proven ability to be deployed at remote, resource-limited settings, this platform enables timely and reliable diagnostics at the first point of patient contact.

Truenat has played a significant role in India’s fight against COVID-19 by expanding access to RT PCR testing in rural, resource-limited geographies across the country and now helping reduce the spread of Nipah Virus, Scrub Typhus across the country.  More than 4000 Truenat machines are being used across testing sites both in the private and public sector for COVID-19 testing all over India.  

THE NEED GAP BEING FULFILLED 

Molbio launched Truenat - the world's first rapid, point of care Real-Time PCR platform for diagnosis of a wide range of infectious diseases in 2013. Truenat Real-Time PCR is globally the only portable, multi-disease, molecular platform, bringing in a paradigm shift by taking high ended molecular testing to the remotest corners of the country and enabling it as the first-line test for various diseases. Truenat has been rapidly scaled up across the country because of its ability to be deployed at all levels of the healthcare chain including PHCs and CHCs, thus decentralizing molecular testing and democratizing access to reliable and impactful tools at the first point of patient contact.

With a turnaround time of 1 hour from sample to result, Truenat ensures early and accurate diagnosis and appropriate initiation of treatment on the same day of presentation. This not only helps in better patient outcomes but also prevents further spread of the disease. The portable, battery operated, rugged machines, the ready to use room temperature stable reagents and the fully automated protocols ensures that testing can be done by minimally trained technicians. The in-built data transfer capability further enables remote interventions and remote monitoring.

In September 2021 Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) authorised Molbio Diagnostics Truenat platform for emergency use to test Nipah. This is the first kit in India to receive regulatory approval to conduct tests for Nipah. In October 2021, Molbio Diagnostics received (DCGI) approval for its Truenat Scrub T-test for Scrub Typhus. 
Molbio is working towards addressing the critical need for reliable technologies that can enable early and accurate diagnosis of many more such critical viruses/diseases.

BRAND DIFFERENTIATORS : USP’s 

Molbio started out with the overarching goal of building a molecular testing platform that is truly free of all infrastructure. Today, the concept of ‘Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere’ is one of our core differentiators. Truenat has successfully decentralized and democratized access to molecular diagnostics in India and the world.

1. Truenat testing kits are globally recognized as a true point-of-care molecular diagnostic platform that can test multiple diseases.

2. Truenat has brought molecular testing to the remotest corners of the country and facilitated it as the first-line test for multiple diseases. 

3. Truenat platform has a turnaround time of 1 hour from sample to result, and ensures early and accurate diagnosis.

4. Truenat doesn't require any infrastructure and testing can be done by anyone with minimal training.

5. Truenat can test over 30 infectious diseases and 30 are in the pipeline.

VISION – MISSION – PHILOSOPHY 

With a vision to transform healthcare practices by providing near-care diagnostic solutions using robust portable platforms and to innovate and bring new technologies for social betterment, Molbio Technologies started working in this revolutionary technology. Today, the passion and hard work has transformed the name into one of the leading global players in the point of care diagnostics segment. 

Our mission was to enable better medicine through precise, faster, cost-effective diagnosis at the Point of Care (POC) and to provide every patient access to the best health care through cutting-edge technologies.  Today, we can confidently say that we are able to reduce patient suffering, fatalities, and resultant economic loss due to inadequate diagnosis to a major extent. 

BRAND LEADERSHIP: A BRIEF PROFILE 

Mr. Sriram Natarajan is the Founder-Director and Chief Executive Officer of Molbio Diagnostics. A technocrat with over 36 years of experience in developing, manufacturing, and marketing diagnostic devices and kits, Sriram has been instrumental in creating and commercializing world-class testing devices for the Indian and international markets. 

Chandrasekhar Nair is the Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer of Molbio Diagnostics and founder of Bigtec Labs, a fully owned R&D subsidiary of Molbio Diagnostics. Chandrasekhar is an experienced team leader with a demonstrated history of translating laboratory research to products in the market. He is skilled in Medical Devices, Molecular Diagnostics and aims to continue working on high-impact technologies that would bring the power of a modern laboratory to near-care use. 

In 2010, Bigtec and Sriram Natarajan joined hands to form Molbio Diagnostics to commercialize the Truenat platform with a vision to democratize access to molecular testing through this point of care technology.

COMING UP: FUTURE INITIATIVES & ENDEAVOURS ON THE MOLBIO MAP 

Molbio has recently launched a new facility at Verna, Goa, which is spread over 1,35,000 sq ft area and was built with an objective to meet the increasing demand for point of care testing in India, partially increased by COVID-19 and partially driven by the growing awareness of the importance and efficacy of the Truenat model for other diseases like Tuberculosis, Dengue, etc. 

This new facility has increased the manufacturing capacity by 5-folds, from 80,000 tests per day to 3.5 Lakh tests per day.

There is also a much larger and growing global demand for high-quality molecular diagnostic tools that can be specially deployed at the point of care. We at Molbio expect to establish ourselves as a major player in the global molecular diagnostics market in the coming years. At the same time, we are also working on other points of care technology for providing better solutions for AMR and non-infectious disease testing applications.

As mentioned above, Recently Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) authorised Molbio Diagnostics Truenat platform for emergency use to test Nipah and approved Truenat Scrub T-test for Scrub Typhus.

FEATHERS IN THE CAP: HONOURS AND AWARDS  PICKED UP ALONG THE CHEQUERED JOURNEY 

1. Health Care Heroes award by Dainik Jagran.

2. BioSpectrum Product of the year award 2020 for developing Truenat® TB.

3. Business Goa Award of Excellence for Innovation in Healthcare.

4. Skyline Magazine Award for excellence.

5. ET Healthcare Award- Outstanding Research in Healthcare COVID-19.

LEADERSHIP QUOTE 

“We, at Molbio, believe that Point of Care molecular diagnostics will play a very critical role in curtailing the spread of infectious diseases in the future. Reliable point of care systems are crucial for ensuring universal access to timely testing of the diseases. Our innovative molecular diagnostic platform - Truenat Real-Time PCR has proved its importance & effectiveness. Going forward we will continue to focus on the state-of-the-art point of care technologies to enable timely access to high-quality diagnostics to all sections of the society in India and globally.”- Mr Sriram Natarajan, Founder, Director & CEO of Molbio Diagnostics.

“With proven ability to work at Primary Health Centres (PHCs) and with wireless data transfer capability, the game-changing technology of Truenat brings in a paradigm shift to the global fight in control and management of devastating infectious diseases. Molecular testing is expected to become more of a routine clinical diagnostics tool for a wide range of infectious diseases in the near future.” - Chandrasekhar Nair, Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer of Molbio Diagnostics

*This story is published by VOH team*