Exclusive interview with Healthcare Startups in India

1
In an exclusive conversation with Hasmukh Rawal,
MD, Mylab Discovery Solutions

• Developer of CoviSelf, Indias first Covid-19
  self-test kit

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Could you let us know about your journey so far
and what inspired you to be in the start-up space?

• We started Mylab in 2013. We started with a
  vision that holds true today as well which is to
  bring high-end diagnostics at affordable prices
  to masses and make a social impact. Social impact
  is core to our product strategy. We wanted to
  develop diagnostics solutions which are built in
  India and for India. We developed state-of-the
  art RD facility in 2015 and made it an epicentre
  of innovations. We got DSIR approval and
  developed RT-PCR assays. Soon, we realized the
  need to increase production and move from RD to
  full-fledged manufacturing. We started a 20000
  sq. ft. manufacturing unit in Lonavala
  Industrial Area between 2016-17. In 2019, we got
  approval from FDA and CDSCO, Class C and Class D
  diagnostic kit manufacturing approvals for
  critical Molecular Diagnostic products HIV, HBV,
  HCV, NAT, COVID-19 and received test license for
  about 100 more products.

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Could you explain furthermore what Mylab is into
and the services that you are providing?

• We develop and commercialize diagnostics
  solutions and automation in molecular, serology,
  and immunology with application in clinical
  diagnostics, drug discovery, biomedical research,
  agrigenomics, animal and food safety.
• Driven by entrepreneurial culture and a
  passionate team, we are constantly leveraging
  new, innovative health technologies to improve
  care delivery, speed diagnoses and shape the
  future of healthcare. With impact-based product
  development as the cornerstone of our approach,
  we are striving to introduce affordable and
  accessible diagnostics solutions thereby
  reducing the gap between patients and
  point-of-care (POC).
• We are committed to empower people to lead
  healthier lives by discovering diagnostic
  solutions for the countrys most pressing
  healthcare needs. Our goal is to introduce
  ground-breaking innovations that can transform
  and potentially save lives.

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• We have had many firsts in our kitty. We are the
  first company in Asia second company in the
  world to develop and manufacture FDA approved
  ID-NAT kits for accurate detection of HIV, HBV,
  HCV and other infections. We are also the First
  Indian manufacturer to launch a fully automated
  molecular diagnostics platform with CE Approval.
• Last year when the country was grappling with the
  shortage of Covid-19 testing requirements, we
  decided to develop a Made in India test for
  Covid-19. We were the first Indian company to
  develop and launch COVID-19 RT-PCR kit and
  COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Test. With natively
  developed kits, we contributed on our part to
  ensure India becomes Atmanirbhar in its fight
  against Covid 19. We are also the first company
  to develop completely automated extraction and
  PCR-ready system (Compact XL).
• To increase RT-PCR testing amidst the second wave
  of coronavirus in India, we rolled out
  ICMR-approved and NABL certified mobile testing
  labs for molecular testing.
• We recently launched Indias first Covid-19
  Self-Testing Kit in India CoviSelf.

5
What went into making of 1st Made in India
Self-test kit CoviSelf? What would be
adaptability of the kit with the Indian audiences?

• CoviSelf, Covid-19 rapid antigen test (RAT) kit,
  simplifies the testing process by empowering
  people to test themselves, and offers a
  comfortable, easy-to-use and accurate alternative
  to the current test method.
• The kit uses a nasal swab and a QR code to
  connect to a mobile app which reveals results in
  15 minutes and sends the details to the Indian
  Council for Medical Research.
• We spent over 5 months to design and develop the
  kits, to make it simpler, easier to use and more
  effective for home testing for consumers. The
  idea was that an 80-year-old granny or an
  18-year-old villager should be able to do it just
  by reading the instructions and watching demo
  videos.

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• To maintain sensitivity and accuracy, we came up
  with a pre-filled tube with the required amount
  of buffer fluid so that consumers can gauge the
  right measure. We introduced a nasal swab instead
  of the nasopharyngeal swab to minimise
  discomfort. We reduced the size of the swabs
  breakpoint and got it closer to the tip. Once the
  swab is used, the tip goes into the buffer fluid
  in the tube and is broken inside it. The tube is
  then capped with the cap attached locking the
  swab tip and pathogens inside. The tubes cap
  also doubles up as a dropper head to deliver a
  precise amount of fluid on the test card without
  oozing or spilling.
• The test card carries a bar code and test outcome
  on the card is analysed by the AI based scanner
  in the CoviSelf app. Once it is read and loaded
  on to the app, the card cannot be reused. There
  is also no chance of mistaking the samples. The
  app can include multiple profiles of tested
  users.
• We have both Online and offline partners for
  distribution, and we are looking to make it
  available in 95 of the PIN codes in the country.

7
How did you deal with moments of pressure, while
dealing with driving operational challenges as
well as meeting timelines of launching the kit?

• This is slightly funny but I realised that in my
  early days as a student, I had intuitively
  started looking at things in two lists Urgent
  list and Important list. It helped me prioritize
  tasks by urgency and importance. I used that to
  prioritise what to study versus what will help me
  in future. Today when I apply this to running
  Mylab I use the same principles. This has
  helped me perform under pressure by prioritising
  things.

8
Start-ups have been amongst the most affected due
to the corona crisis. How has the present period
of corona crisis fared for your organization?

• For us, the corona crisis presented us with an
  opportunity to innovate. Last year when the
  pandemic hit us, India did not have a single
  Covid-19 RT-PCR kit which was manufactured
  locally. Everything was imported. We were the
  first Indian company to launch ingenious RT-PCR
  test and we developed it in a record time of
  six-weeks from the outbreak. And soon after that
  we launched our other Covid-testing related
  products.
• We have been at the forefront of increasing
  Indias testing capacity for Covid-19 and have
  been striving to cover the whole spectrum of
  COVID-19 testing.
• Our focus is always on developing solutions that
  the country will be needing next.

9
How can the government and industry partner with
start-ups and support them accelerate their
research?

• The recent Govt. policies have been extremely
  beneficial and conducive for start-ups like us to
  be Aatmanirbhar. We completely support and
  appreciate PM Modis vision of local to global.
  We strongly believe local problems will be solved
  by local solutions only and self-reliance is
  critical to solve the problems of our country. We
  are committed to continue to make progress in
  this space of diagnostics and empower people in
  India to lead healthier lives.

10
Any message that you would like to share with
aspiring entrepreneurs in start-up space?

• Focus on finding solution to the problem and
  create value. Innovation and creativity in times
  of adversity are key to unlocking growth. So,
  keep innovating

To know more details visit our website
https//mpoweringlifescience.com/startup/in-an-exc
lusive-conversation-with-hasmukh-rawal-md-mylab-di
scovery-solutions/
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Thank You