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This is an archive article published on May 23, 2010

Detecting typhoid early

A new immunosensor kit for speedy detection of typhoid will be available in the market by 2013....

Despite medical advances,17 million people worldwide are afflicted by typhoid every year. This bacterial disease leads to the death of 600,000 people annually. Many of the deaths are attributed to a delayed diagnosis. The standard test to diagnose the disease takes 48 hours. In many cases,this two-day period is sufficient for the disease to inflict significant damage to the body it has infected.

Venus Remedies,a research and development firm with its head office in Panchkula,near Chandigarh,has announced a typhoid diagnosis kit that can detect the disease in a few minutes. The kit,which is being developed in association with the Institute of Microbial Technology a research centre of CSIR,and Department of Microbiology,Panjab University,is expected to be out in the market by 2013.

The immunosensor kit for detection of salmonella typhii,which is the main causative agent of typhoid,will get financial assistance from the Department of Science and Technology,Government of India. If successful,this will be another achievement for this 20-year-old company,which has built its reputation as one of the upcoming pharma companies of India,with a strong emphasis on product development. Its turnover in 1999 was Rs 12 crore and by the end of the 2010 fiscal,it touched Rs 310 crore.

The core team comprises 40 scientists and besides Panchkula,it has facilities in Himachal Pradesh and Germany. The company is testing a mechanism for quick cancer detection,which if successful would not only enable quick detection of malignant tumours but would also obviate the need for painful biopsies. The first stage of testing is expected to be over by the end of this year.

 

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