Centre allows three Bengaluru firms to import rapid testing kits

Three city-based companies on Monday secured licences from the Centre to import the rapid antibody kits from two Chinese and one Korean firm.

This comes after the state government returned the kits to Chinese firms Wondfo and Livzon as it shelved the idea of rapid testing.

Indelox Global Distribution Pvt Ltd secured permission to import the kits from Dongguan Bosh Biotechnology in China, while Homogenomics Pvt Ltd will import from South Korea’s PCL Inc.

The third company, Bioplus Healthcare Pvt Ltd, will import from another Chinese firm Cellex Biotech Suzou Co. Ltd.

The three Bengaluru firms are among the 93 in India with approval to import the kits from the foreign companies.

While the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) had placed orders for 45 lakh kits, only five lakhs had reportedly arrived. The states are free to place their own orders.

“We have seen the list of the approved firms and are hoping to get a share of the kits the Centre gets,” Dr N Manjushree, additional director, Karnataka State Drugs Logistics and Warehouse Society (KSDLWS), told DH, adding that the state is yet to decide on placing its own order.

Dr C N Manjunath, the nodal officer for lab testing in the Covid-19 task force, said the government is wary of Chinese firms after the previous experience of importing the kits.

“They were US FDA-approved and ICMR-approved, but we didn’t have a good experience with them,” he said. “If the ICMR gets a fresh lot (of kits), the state will definitely have its share. Like the last time, we will locally validate them in our testing labs and deploy them in the field.”

The price of each kit is yet to be revealed. In its last order, the Karnataka government agreed to pay Rs 694 per kit. The development comes after the ICMR was under fire after the validation process revealed variations in accuracy.

In Karnataka, the kits showed a 45% sensitivity, while it should ideally have been 75%.