NEW YORK (GenomeWeb) – A kit for detection of dengue virus manufactured by California-based Globavir Biosciences has been approved by the ministry of health and welfare in India, and the company has partnered with Suyog Diagnostics to distribute the test there.
Globavir said its test, called the PanGlob Dengue rRT-PCR kit, has higher sensitivity than other commercially available tests, allowing for detection of the virus up to five days after initial infection, when viral load is substantially decreased.
Increased sensitivity is important for patients in later stages of the disease due to higher risks for complications such as dengue shock syndrome and hemorrhagic fever, the company added.
"The approval and distribution of PanGlob in India provides a more sensitive, accurate, and affordable test option that we believe will revolutionize the diagnosis of dengue infections in a country where dengue is a rapidly growing problem," said Globavir CEO Shalabh Gupta in a statement.
The test will be launched in the upcoming monsoon season, which runs from May to September, and will be marketed by Suyog, a Mumbai-based diagnostic technologies distribution company. The firms will also partner to launch a multiplex test for multiple pathogens, including dengue, called MulGlob.
The PanGlob test was originally developed using technology licensed from Stanford University, and is CE marked. Globavir recently licensed the assay to Bio-Rad.