The Delhi based leading medical diagnostics chain Dr Lal Path Labs has introduced HIV viral load quantification technology namely 'RT-PCR'in Delhi market and in a few months from now it will be available all over India.

Speaking to Pharmabiz, Dr Arvind Lal, chairman and managing director, said, "We are growing through organic and inorganic route. Recently, we have introduced, RT-PCR HIV viral load technology in Delhi and in next few months we will be able to cater this technology rest of the country. The RT-PCR technology can detect 30 viral copies per ml. At present the market size of HIV is nearly 3.8 million and it is continues growing, so we are considering huge demand for our technology, it will cost Rs 2,400 for one test. Currently, in our in-house R&D centre at Delhi, researches various research are ongoing for tuberculosis, Hepatitis B and C and in a next one year we will get results".

The company offers a wide range of sophisticated tests, which are conducted by the qualified professionals, operating under customised and carefully monitored conditions. The services offered by company include molecular diagnostics, flowcytometry, atomic absorption, biophysics and cytogenetics. The lab adheres to the most exacting standards of laboratory hygiene with colour coded area-specific hardware, use of only barrier pipette tips, UV irradiation of workstations and pipettes, and regular sanitation processes using chemical anti-DNA agents. The company offers advanced tests like qualitative PCR for MTB, CMV, HBV, HCV, HSV; Viral Load quantification for HBV, HIV and HCV; HLA tissue typing for Kidney and bone marrow transplants; HCV genotyping, immunophenotyping for leukaemia's and lymphomas karyotyping; FTIR for kidney and gall stone analysis and atomic absorption spectrometry for trace metal detection.

The company is setting up 20 more new labs all over India in the next two years time. At present, company has 550 collection centres and 30 labs, but in the next two years time, the company will have 1,000 collection centres and 50 labs all over India. Currently, the growth rate of the company is around 30-35 per cent and it is expecting to grow around 40-45 per cent in the next fiscal. Its six labs have received National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) accreditation and three more are in the pipeline.

Talking about future plans, Lal, said, "In the near future, we are planning to conduct various researches on cardiovascular and oncology, but not yet finalised. We are open for the tie up and acquisition activity".