Swiss firm Roche Diagnostics becomes India's first private firm to get COVID-19 test approval

Swiss firm Roche Diagnostics India received the license for conducting coronavirus tests after approval from drug regulator DCGI, making it the first private firm to get such permission after the government decided to allow accredited private labs to test for COVID-19.

According to a senior official, the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) is now assessing giving license to another private diagnostic firm, bioMérieux, which has also sought approval to conduct tests for coronavirus.

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The official said two Indian diagnostic companies-- Trivitron Healthcare and Mylab Discovery Solution-- have also sought approval from the DCGI for the coronavirus testing kits developed by them.

The Union health ministry had on Tuesday issued guidelines for private sector laboratories intending to initiate COVID-19 testing while appealing them to conduct the tests free of cost.