The Delhi based pharmaceutical company Arbro Pharmaceuticals Ltd (APL) is planning to launch ultrasensitive tuberculosis smear microscopy kit in the domestic as well as in the international market next year. The kit was developed by All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi and transferred for manufacturing and marketing to APL. Initially, it is targeting to launch this kit in the domestic market and than in the some parts of the African region.

This Technology enables TB detection (Pulmonary and Extra-Pulmonary Infection) with high sensitivity and specificity. In old conventional detection method, the required quantity of microbes, to detect the TB, is about 1000 microbes per 1 ml. of sputum. But with this advanced technology, the company can detect the TB even if the microbes quantity is around 300 microbes per ml. of sample. Thus, with this technology, it will be easy to detect the TB in earlier stage and the remedial action can be taken at appropriate time.

Speaking to Pharmabiz, Saurabh Arora, managing director, Arbro Pharmaceuticals, said, "Currently, our polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based mycobacterium tuberculosis detection kit is available in the market but we are evaluating our existing kit. The Ultrasensitive tuberculosis smear microscopy kit will be positive even if the bacterial load in the sample is as low as 300-400 bacteria /ml. We are in the validation stage and within eight months time it will be ready with our outcome, which will cost Rs 50-60 for one test. We are hoping that this technology can save many lives and support the welfare and advancement of the society".

The company's mycobacterium tuberculosis detection kit is a PCR based kit. Where the DNA of the organism is extracted from clinical specimens and. then amplified by real time PCR and analysed the presence of TB. An internal positive control is included in every reaction which monitors the extraction and the amplification process. The product is available at nearly half the price of imported kits. It also has Hepatitis C virus detection kit and Hepatitis C genotyping kit, which are RNA based kit.

Talking about product pipeline Dr Atul Thatai, VP Biotechnology, said, "Several other PCR based tests kits are under development stage including HBV, BCR-ABL for cancer patients. Overall we are looking for strong partners to market these products".