Drugmaker Cipla has signed a licensing agreement with Belgium-based firm Multi G for the distribution of its Covid-19 rapid antibody test kit across emerging markets and Europe.

This licencing agreement is part of Cipla’s efforts to enhance global access to life-saving treatments and diagnostic infrastructure for patients in need, a note from the company said, without giving details on its pricing.

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The kit, marketed as “Covi-G,” was among the earliest antibody kits to declare CE-compliance (regulatory approval in Europe) and is awaiting approval by other regulators.

It has been commercialised in over 20 countries and has sensitivity and specificity of over 92 per cent, the note said. It tests for both IgM and IgG antibodies, using a single-prick blood test and gives results in 10 minutes.

This launch adds to Cipla’s Covid portfolio after ELIFAST diagnostic kits. Apart from an epidemiological tool for mass screening, this point of care test can also be used to detect patients who have had a suspected asymptomatic or mild infection in the past, identify potential plasma donors and possibly prioritise susceptible populations for vaccines, the note said.

Cipla’s network and partnerships with public health authorities as well as private institutions will help in ensuring the seamless access of these kits across 25-odd markets in Asia, Middle-East and North Africa, Latin America, EU and Australia, it added.

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