Kolkata,5th August 2024: In a significant advancement for healthcare and tuberculosis (TB) management in India, PDx Research Labs (PDxRL) launched the project to create the MDR-TB map of West Bengal, supported by the Government of West Bengal in a Symposium on the Democratization of Multi-Omics, in an event on 3rd August in Kolkata. This initiative, supported by a CSR project of the State Bank of India (SBI) aims to curb the spread of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) among patients from economically disadvantaged backgrounds across West Bengal.
The event was graced by eminent Guests of Honour, namely Prof. (Dr.) Partha Pratim, Majumder, National Science Chair, Science and Engineering Board; Dr. Jagadish Mahanta, Distinguished Scientist Chair, ICMR; Dr. U D Gupta, Former Director and Scientist, ICMR; Dr. Viswanathan Mohan, Padmashree, President & Chief of Diabetes Research , Madras Diabetes Research Foundation (Virtually); Sunil Kumar Singh, General Manager, State Bank of India (SBI); Ajeya Bandhopadhyay, Development Advisor & Investor, currently associated with International Finance Corporation, World Bank along with Abhijnan Basu, Chief Operating Officer, PDxRL; and Dr. Suman Kalyan Paine, Chief Scientific Officer, PDxRL.
The MDR-TB project targets saving mass lives by developing India’s first interactive MDR-TB map, categorized by demography and geography. By screening through genome sequencing of TB patients for multi-drug resistance at the point of care (POC) at no cost, the project aims to control TB through early diagnosis and intervention supported by State Bank of India with Feel Green, an NGO coordinating the project. This initiative supports India’s goal of eliminating TB by 2025 by addressing drug resistance challenges directly.
This revolutionary idea of medical research and diagnostics is mooted by eastern India’s first integrated lifescience research company, PDxRL with its state-of-the-art facility offering comprehensive life science research services in molecular biology, genomics, computational biology, biochemistry, hematology, serology, immunology, microbiology, histopathology, and animal experimentation.
Speaking on this occasion, Dr. Suman Kalyan Paine, Chief Scientific Officer, PDxRL, said, ” The current limitations in TB management and TB related mortality delayed diagnosis due to infrastructural constraints and long turnaround times (TAT) for laboratory confirmation, necessitate innovative solutions through genome sequencing of TB bacteria. This tool will assist to formulate the development of medical therapeutic guidelines by government and medical bodies for West Bengal. The pilot project in West Bengal aims to screen the individuals of the socio-economically disadvantaged population. This will aid that even the most vulnerable patients receive timely and effective treatment, thereby preventing the community transmission of MDR-TB.”
On this occasion, Abhijnan Basu, Chief Operating Officer, PDxRL, said, “TB remains a formidable public health challenge in India, accounting for 24% of all global TB cases and 34% of all TB deaths. With an incidence rate of 192 cases per 100,000 population, India faces the highest burden of TB worldwide, with two deaths occurring every three minutes due to the disease. We at PDxRL provide a one-stop solution for life science research services, be it for new drug development, translational or pure science research, or new-age diagnostics and therapeutics. Through our comprehensive approach, we aim to support advancements in TB management and ultimately contribute to reducing the disease burden in India.”
Ravi Todi, Industrialist added, “Being part of the initiative, I am honoured to witness this significant milestone in our collective fight against TB. He also assured this is the beginning and we will put our strive to do wider and more such activities in the field of healthcare for the public at large.”
Satyendra K. Singh, CGM, SBI also extended his best wishes for the project’s success, benefiting economically disadvantaged individuals across West Bengal.