ICMR approves first Omicron Testing kit Omisure

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• Jan 4, 2022 | Deleted

Digital Desk: The Indian Council of Medical Research has approved a kit that will be used to detect Omicron strain of the virus. The Omicron Testing kit is manufactured by Tata Medical and Diagnostic and is named OmiSure. The approval for the same came on December 30.

The kit used to identify the Omicron version in India is currently developed by Thermo Fisher, a scientific instrumentation business in the United States. It detects the variant using the S Gene Target Failure (SGTF) approach.

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'S' Gene, ORF, 'N' gene, Rdrp, 'E' gene etc., are viral genes that are targeted to detect the COVID-19 virus. In the case of the Omicron variant, the 'S' gene does not get detected in Thermo Fisher's Taq Path RT-PCR test due to mutation in the gene, while other gene targets such as the ORF gene and N gene get detected. Krishna Khairnar, a scientist at Nagpur-based CSIR-NEERI, told PTI, "The occurrence is called 'S' Gene Target Failure (SGTF) positive cases. Such samples can be presumptively reported as Omicron positive and can be sent for fast-track genome sequencing for confirmation."

Furthermore, on December 17, the ICMR requested EoI to submit an application apply by December 22 for "technology transfer for development and commercialization of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) real-time RT-PCR assay."

In the EoI to develop and commercialise its Omicron testing kit, ICMR stated that it had developed a novel technology to detect Omicron variants and a kit for the same. Furthermore, it said that it is the owner of the said technology, including any underlying intellectual property and commercialisation rights.