November 23, 2011 – 2:49 am
India accounts for almost a quarter of tuberculosis cases and 25% of multidrug resistant (MDR) cases in the world, yet there has not been any attempt to produce an innovative diagnostic test for TB on the subcontinent.
The diagnostic test that is currently used by the Indian TB programme (RNTCP) for routine cases is sputum smear microscopy, a technique that was developed more than 100 years ago. The private sector uses serological (antibody) tests, which the World Health Organization advises against. While serological tests work well for several infectious diseases, antibody tests for TB are known to be inaccurate, inconsistent and of no clinical value, says the WHO.
A preliminary analysis by McKinsey and Co. estimates the annual TB diagnostics market in India to be worth approximately US$100 million, although the actual market size could could be significantly larger as the private sector does not report cases. The RNTCP screens more than 7.5 million people with suspected active TB every year and a similar number is likely to seek care in the private sector. Thus, at least 15 million people will need to be tested, which should translate into a fairly sizeable market.
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