The CSIR-Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology (CCMB) and Apollo Hospitals on December 10 announced collaboration for joint manufacturing and commercialisation of an innovative dry swab test for SARS-CoV-2 detection.

Direct Amplification rapid RT-PCR (DArRT-PCR) has been developed by CSIR-CCMB and the collaboration with Apollo Hospitals will focus on scaling up manufacturing and commercialisation of the tests jointly. The rapid, safe and cost-effective DArRT-PCR tests will be available nationally through the Apollo Hospitals network, a joint statement said. The sample collection centres can send dry nasal or oropharyngeal swabs to testing centres with no need for the imported and expensive Viral Transport Medium. The biological sample can be directly isolated from the patient swabs, and testing using a one-step protocol.

The current gold-standard method requires many expensive reagents and steps that add to the expertise, money and time required for the tests. The DArRT-PCR test reduces the time and human effort by 40-50 percent in the current setting of testing. "As people are getting back to their normal lives and businesses, it is important for us to ramp up our testing for the coronavirus. The virus will be here for some time, it seems, and those who test more frequently will be able to contain the impact of COVID-19 better," said Rakesh Mishra, Director, CSIR-CCMB. He said that cheaper, rapid and easy to use tests are the need of the hour. "These tests will give a boost to the efforts to mitigate the effect of Covid-19 and will play a major role in controlling the pandemic," said the Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group.