Currently the kit that is being used to detect the Omicron variant in India is developed by US-based scientific instrumentation company Thermo Fisher. It uses the S Gene Target Failure (SGTF) strategy to detect the variant.
The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) has approved a kit that will be used to detect Omicron. The kit is manufactured by Tata Medical and Diagnostics and is named OmiSure. The approval came on December 30.
Currently the kit that is being used to detect the Omicron variant in India is developed by US-based scientific instrumentation company Thermo Fisher. It uses the S Gene Target Failure (SGTF) strategy to detect the variant.
‘S’ Gene, ORF, ‘N’ gene, Rdrp, ‘E’ gene etc are viral genes that are targeted to detect COVID-19 virus. In case of the Omicron variant, the ‘S’ gene does not get detected in Thermo Fisher’s Taq Path RT-PCR test due to mutation in the gene, while other gene targets such as ORF gene and N gene get detected. Krishna Khairnar, scientist at Nagpur-based CSIR-NEERI told PTI, “The occurrence is called ‘S’ Gene Target Failure (SGTF) positive cases. Such samples can be presumptively reported as Omicron positive and can be sent for fast-track genome sequencing for confirmation.”
Moreover ICMR, on December 17, had invited EoI by December 22 for the “transfer of technology for development and commercialisation of SARS-CoV-2 Omicron (B.1.1.529) real time RT-PCR assay”.
In the EoI to develop and commercialise its Omicron detection kit, ICMR stated that it has developed a novel technology to detect Omicron variant and a kit for the same. It said that it is the owner of the said technology including any underlying intellectual property and commercialisation rights.
