Mylab picks up majority stake in point-of-care testing firm

Sanskritech has develop a point of care testing platform Swayam that can do 70 tests on the spot

Adar Poonawalla backed Pune based biotech company Mylab Discovery Solutions has acquired a majority stake in Sanskritech, developer of a platform Swayam – a point of care testing system.

Mylab did not disclose the deal size.

The Swayam platform covers 70 test parameters and also has a tele-medicine facility. Mylab will now establish PoC testing systems at doctor clinics, nursing homes, community health centers, airports etc, the company said. This would be done through laboratory partners.

Hasmukh Rawal, MD of Mylab said that the patients will get results within 20-minutes. “The Covid19 pandemic has created a paradigm shift in the PoC testing scenario in India. From a current market size of $4 bn, it is expected to grow manifold,” he added.

As offices, educational institutions, travel, elective health procedures pick up, PoC testing is likely to be in demand.

Rawal, however, highlighted that Mylab would not only focus on Covid19 testing, but also on other diseases.

The Swayam platform can perform simple blood tests like blood glucose, cardiac markers, lipid assays, liver function tests, thyroid tests etc. It can also test for diseases like Hepatitis B, Hepatits C, HIV, Malaria, Dengue, Chikungunya, TB, metabolic and respiratory ailments, apart from urine tests, skin tests, alcohol detection, vision tests etc.

Mylab plans to establish more than 1,000 PoC systems in the next two years and start deployment of these systems with lab partners as early as November 2021.

Swayam is a portable diagnostic and tele-medicine point-of-care system which can be used to create a small lab anywhere.

“This will help people to test for a wide range of diseases within a few minutes. Patients can also consult doctors using telemedicine facilities and start treatment instantly. Mylab will use its expertise in diagnostic solutions development, biosensors, robotics, liquid handling to further expand the test menu and embed Artificial Intelligence which will facilitate faster reporting and consultation with doctors and an even better experience,” the company said.

This also gives Mylab an opportunity to sell its own PoC test Coviself (a self test rapid antigen kit). Mylab had developed India’s first RT-PCR test for Covid-19, and also the first self test rapid antigen test kit.

“During the second wave, we saw overburdening of our testing systems. It became evident that decentralized testing would significantly improve access and turnaround times. Point-of-Care labs will be a game-changer in the diagnostics space. This acquisition will enable us to further strengthen our efforts to make point-of-care testing available everywhere in India including a remote village.” said Rawal.

Tests on offer

• Blood tests - Blood Glucose, Hemoglobin, Lipid assay, Cardiac Marker assay, Full blood work, Liver function test, Hormonal assay, Thyroid, etc.

• Disease tests - Hepatitis B (HBV), Hepatitis C (HCV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Malaria, Dengue, Chikungunya, Tuberculosis, Respiratory Diseases, Metabolic Diseases, Skin diseases, etc.

• Urine tests - Creatinine, Leukocytes, Protein, pH, Urine Calcium, etc.,

• Other – ENT, Skin Test, Vision Test, ECG 12 lead, Alcohol Detection, etc.

• Basic – Height, Weight, BMI, Blood Pressure, Temperature, etc.