Kerala Vet owned Company develops Indigenous COVID19 rapid testing kit

Pashu Sandesh, 29th July 2020

A Veterinarian owned Cochin based Ubio Biotechnologies, has developed the first indigenous antibody-based testing kit for COVID-19. Named Sensit Rapid, this kit can provide the results within 20 minutes with an accuracy rate of 95 per cent. This kit has received all approvals from the regulatory authorities and is now available in the market.  

Product Development

Talking to Pashu Sandesh Dr Bishor said that his company Received support from the department of biotechnology for the development of indigenous antibody-based test kit for COVID-19. It is the first indigenously developed antibody-based test kit for COVID-19. The kit is readily available in the market and the  Company has a production capacity of 30 lakh kits per month. Accuracy of the kid is above 90 per cent at 8 to 10 days post-exposure. He further said that the development of antigen-based COVID-19 test kit is also in advance stage, most probably it will be launched Within a month.

About the technology

As per Dr Bishor accuracy in results of screening for COVID 19 can be achieved by adopting a combination of both antigen and antibody tests. The antigen test works well in the initial stage of disease while antibody test works well in the later stages of the disease. The antibody-based test is more useful in the identification of symptomless carriers. 

The journey from a vet to entrepreneur 

Dr Bishore a 1999 pass out Vet from Mannuthy veterinary college Kerala, completed his masters from IVRI Izzatnagar Bareilly in Veterinary public health. Dr Bishor then worked as a scientist for three and a half years in a vaccine manufacturing institute of Kerala govt. Since there was no job satisfaction, he accepted the challenge for a better career option and resigned from the job. He then started working with a medical device company in Delhi and moved to Korea to work in a diagnostic equipment company.

Dr Bishor returned to India in 2009 and started his own startup with some partners. Today the company has a product range of more than 160 diagnostic kits for human as well as for use in animals. Apart from India, the company has a good presence in the overseas market with exports to over 45 countries around the globe.   

The success story of Dr Bishore could be an inspiration to many who are sitting on the fence and contemplating their own startups and fruitful careers. Recently in a Facebook live program Minister of State for Animal Husbandry GOI Dr Sanjeev Balyan, also called upon the Vets to explore alternate careers rather than looking for alleged comfort of the Government Jobs. Dr Bishore is the shining example to follow and strive for captaining the ship in uncharted waters.