Goa’s only unicorn working with WHO and Africa to combat Ebola outbreak

Panaji: Verna-based pharmaceutical firm Molbio Diagnostics is working with the World Health Organisation (WHO), the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC), and authorities in Uganda and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) to track the spread of the deadly Ebola virus.

Molbio Diagnostics has begun initial deployment, and test kits have reached affected regions in Uganda. The DRC and teams are trying to validate the tests on Ebola clinical specimens.

The current outbreak is linked to the Bundibugyo virus. Along with the Ebola virus and Sudan virus, it is one of three viruses known to cause large outbreaks of Ebola disease. Molbio has developed a real-time PCR test capable of detecting Ebola disease caused by all three outbreak-associated viruses. It delivers results in approximately one hour, enabling faster clinical decision-making and timely public health intervention.

“Several African countries, including the DRC and Uganda, already have Truenat systems deployed within their healthcare networks. The same portable, battery-operated, real-time PCR platform can be used to test for more than 40 diseases, enabling health systems to respond quickly to evolving public health needs,” said president for business development at Molbio Diagnostics, Shiva Sriram.

On May 17, the WHO declared the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the DRC and Uganda a public health emergency of international concern. As of May 21, 746 suspected cases and 176 deaths among suspected cases had been reported in the DRC. Across both countries, 85 confirmed cases, including two in Uganda, and 10 deaths among confirmed cases, including one in Uganda, had been reported. One of the main challenges faced by the two nations is the limited availability of rapid tests to identify the disease caused by the Bundibugyo virus.

On May 22, officials from Molbio Diagnostics participated in the emergency consultation convened by the WHO and the Africa CDC to accelerate the research, development, and deployment of decentralised diagnostic solutions to support outbreak response efforts.

“Introducing a new Truenat test does not require specialised training in platform operation or sample handling beyond standard laboratory protocols, allowing healthcare workers already familiar with the system to rapidly adopt new tests and support timely outbreak detection and response,” Sriram said.

The company entered the elite ‘unicorn’ club in 2022 with a $1.6 billion valuation after securing $85 million in funding led by Singapore-based private equity firm Temasek, alongside Motilal Oswal Alternates.