NeoGen Labs, a dedicated facility for new born screening for genetic and metabolic disorders has received the NABL accreditation.
Achieving accreditation is a process of rigorous internal review, evaluation, and adjustment and can take several years to complete. “This is another step towards our quest to be on par with the best Newborn Screening Labs in the world. Our singular focus on Newborn Screening and the ability to deliver an accurate and timely result to healthcare professionals has paid off,” stated Thomas Mookken, CEO, NeoGen Labs.
Newborn Screening is recognized internationally as an essential, preventive public health programme for early identification of disorders in newborns that can affect their long-term health. If infants tested positive and confirmed are treated, they have an excellent chance of developing normally.
In India, these disorders are cumulatively detected in nearly 3 out of every 200 babies.
The benefits of Newborn Screening have not been realized adequately in India due to a lack of knowledge of the incidence, benefits, affordability and accessibility of the tests.
The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) is an autonomous body under the aegis of Department of Science & Technology. The Union government has authorized NABL as the sole accreditation body for Testing and Calibration of laboratories. In order to achieve this objective, NABL provides laboratory accreditation services to laboratories that are performing tests in accordance with ISO 15189:2007 for medical laboratories.
NeoGen Labs set up in June 2006 and provides Newborn Screening services for Inborn Errors of Metabolism for babies in India, using Tandem Mass Spectrometry (MS/MS) and Biochemical Assays. The company is a technology licensee of PerkinElmer Genetics, which pioneered the use of MS/MS in Newborn Screening. The specific MS/MS technology used at NeoGen Labs has been used to screen over 4 million babies and continues to screen over 400, 000 every year. The labs also has another centres at Ahmedabad.