Trivitron group to focus on Asian markets for newborn screening products

City-based medical devices Trivitron Healthcare will look at domestic as well as Asian markets for its newborn screening products, said a top group official.

The group will also come out with a point of birth screening products so that the newborns are not troubled much, its founder and managing director G.S.K. Velu told IANS.

"The central and the state governments are now realising the importance of having a healthy future India by screening the newborns for any ailments and take corrective actions before it becomes a lifelong problem," he said.

During the Make in India conference in Mumbai, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Finnish counterpart Jura Sipila jointly declared open the new Labsystems Diagnostics IVD (in vitro diagnostic device) factory - an Indo-Finnish joint collaboration - on February 13.

The plant is located at the 25 acre Medical Technology Park promoted by Trivitron group for captive purposes.

Velu said the over Rs.700 crore Trivitron group had acquired the Finnish company Labsystems Diagnositcs OY around two years ago.

"The company manufactures the newborn screening systems and tests and other products. It is ranked second in the world in the new born screening segment," he said.

According to him, the technology has been transferred to Trivitron Healthcare and a total of Rs.200 crore has gone into the plant technology and infrastructure.

Newborn screening tests are done on newborn babies to detect early the possible congenital metabolic disorders that the child may suffer from, and are preventive screening to detect inborn errors, which if not treated early, may cause serious permanent problems like neurological, cognitive, tactile and physical damage.

According to Velu, the group's focus will be on bringing down the screening costs so that it is available for the masses.

"What is suitable for India will be equally suitable for other Asian and even African countries," he said.

He said that the group will cater to the US and European markets out of its Finnish facility while the Asian and African markets will be served out of India.

He said there are around 20-30 basic disorders that have to be tested out like the possibilities of the newborn suffering from thyroid problem.