Stem cell specialist Epistem (LON:EHP) has signed a sales and marketing deal for its novel tuberculosis test with Indian genomics firm Xcelris Labs.
Xcelris will now be the channel partner for distribution of the Epistem’s technology across India and the Indian sub-continent. This deal follows a collaboration agreement signed by the two firms last June.
The technology behind new rapid molecular test for TB is Epistem’s Genedrive platform, which provides a 'Point of Care' test applicable to a wide range of viral, bacterial, fungal and somatic mutation disease areas in less than thirty minutes.
Epistem said Genedrive will be targeted at providing the 'gold standard' for TB identification and antibiotic resistance testing and will be priced competitively against other methods of diagnosis such as microscopy and culturing.
India has the largest number of TB sufferers in the world, with 2 million new patients each year with the highest incidence of fatalities occurring in remote rural areas.
Following regulatory approval, Genedrive will be positioned to be included as part of the Indian Revised National TB Control Program (RNTCP).
Xcelris will liaise with RNTCP to offer innovative and easy-to-use diagnostic solutions to detect TB.
Epistem added that Genedrive can also be used for diagnostic testing across a broad spectrum of infectious diseases such as TB, Dengue Fever, HIV and a wide range of sexually transmitted diseases.