In a bid to increase the market presence in diagnostic kits, Bhat Biotech has slated an investment of Rs.4 crore. The funds are being sourced through internal accruals.

Going by the increasing demand for kits, the company requires an increase in production capacity. Bhat Biotech which registered revenues to the tune of Rs. 10 crore ending fiscal March 2008, is now gearing up to clock earnings of Rs. 50 crore over the next three years. Therefore funds will be utilized for the expansion in infrastructure and modernization of production practices, Dr Shama Bhat, chairman and managing director, Bhat Biotech told Pharmabiz.

The company is specialized in the design development, manufacture and marketing of diagnostic test devices for various types of tests like, Hepatitis, Pregnancy HIV, Hepatitis, Pregnancy, Malaria, Cancer Markers, Cardiac Markers, Dry Chemistry, Bio-Chemistry, Hematology & Immunology and Elisa's used in the analysis of body fluids in human. The products are manufactured with the international standards and ISO 9001, ISO 13485 and GMP certified. Its expertise in diagnostic kit developments are constantly being upgraded according to the latest developments.

Current, R&D Laboratory and manufacturing Units with class 10,000 Clean Rooms also includes a large scale reagent production facility and down stream processing equipments such as high speed automated refrigerated centrifuges, latest equipments for manufacturing Lateral Flow Assay, a well equipped Hybridoma Laboratory for monoclonal antibodies and Oligosynthesizer for nucleic acid synthesis are major systems.

The range of kits manufactured by the company are categorized as diagnostic kits & instruments, teaching kits, and recombinant proteins & reagents. Currently, fastest growing products in the range are HIV, pregnancy and malaria kits, stated Dr. Bhat.

For the product excellence, the company was awarded the best National Research National Report on HIV.

Last year, the company bagged the CE Certification from the Institute of Testing and Certification Limited, Czech Republic for its products to test HIV, malaria, Hepatitis B, pregnancy and Urine Chemistry.

The certification was issued in compliance with the Council Directive 98/79 EC (IVD), which is implemented by the Czech Government certifying in-vitro diagnostic medical devices. The certified products are Hepa-Scan HBsAg card, Pareekshak HIV-1/2Spot Test, Pareekshak HIV1/2 Trilline Card Test, Maleriscan-Malaria-P-f/P.v3 line Antigen Test, Pregny-Scan hCG Card Test, Pregny-Scan hCG Dipstick Test, Urine Reagent Strips Glucose-Ketobe-Specific Gravity pH-Protein Test.

The company is not only present in the national market but exports to over 12 countries across the North America, U.K., South Asia, Middle East, Central Americas, South Americas, South Africa and South East Asia.

The company is also in the area of Contract research and an Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM) for many customers in India and the international market. Going by its presence for over a decade, it has gathered the total capabilities and infrastructure to take up any contract research in Biotechnology, Biopharmaceuticals and Drug screening. In the area of OEMs, company is engaged in the production of HIV range in card, spot and ELISA formats, Pregnancy range in card and dipstick formats, Hepatitis range in card and dipstick formats, Malaria test kits and Bio-Chemistry test kits.