RAIPUR,CG: In a significant advancement for health research in India, scientists at the Multi-Disciplinary Research Unit (MRU) of Dr. B.R. Ambedkar Memorial Medical College Hospital, Raipur, has developed a pioneering biomarker kit that can assess the severity of COVID-19 infections at an early stage.

The groundbreaking research, which began during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, has recently been published in Scientific Reports, a renowned journal under the Nature Publishing Group and one of the world’s most cited research publications.

During the pandemic, while many scientists were focused on creating new diagnostic test kits for COVID-19, Dr. Jagannath Pal (MBBS, PhD), a senior scientist at MRU and principal investigator of the study, turned his attention to a fundamental issue: managing the pandemic more effectively. With a postdoctoral degree from the Harvard Cancer Institute (Boston, USA), Dr. Pal sought to develop a tool that could not only address the current pandemic but also serve future health crises.

Dr. Pal explained that at the onset of the pandemic, there was a critical shortage of life-saving drugs like Remdesivir, and it was difficult to identify which COVID-19 patients needed advanced medical intervention. It led to the urgent need for a method to classify the severity of infections early on to better allocate resources. The newly developed biomarker kit addresses the need by providing an early-stage severity assessment, a critical tool for healthcare providers.

The MRU, a collaborative initiative between Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Medical College Raipur, the Department of Health Research (DHR), Government of India, and the Government of Chhattisgarh, played a central role in the achievement.

The MRU team developed the biomarker kit using limited resources. The kit, which predicts COVID-19 severity using a Quantitative PCR-based test, boasts a sensitivity of 91% and a specificity of 94%. Dr. Yogita Rajput, another key MRU scientist and lead author of the research paper, was instrumental in coordinating the multidisciplinary efforts required to bring the project to fruition.

Given the commercial potential of the invention, Pt. J.N.M. Medical College has applied for both Indian and international patents. Dr. Pal highlighted a recent U.S. patent search agency report that underscores the commercial significance of the invention in the U.S. market. The development opens the door for exporting Indian-made medical technology, contributing to the country’s economic growth.

The achievement is particularly notable because it was accomplished with modest infrastructure, limited funding, and a small team. It demonstrates that state-run medical colleges in India can not only meet immediate medical needs but also contribute to the commercialization of innovative technologies.