04 January 2010

DSIR, Govt. of India, funds ubio's research project to develop biochips for early cancer detection

Deparment of Scientific and Industrial Research (DSIR), Government of India, has decided to fund the cancer biochip development project to be executed at ubio Biotechnology Systems Pvt Ltd, Cochin. The funding will allow ubio to develop a prototype of its cancer biochip and conduct early clinical trials. ubio will be eligible for the next phase of funding once this project is executed, which will help it to commercialize the product. The proposed product is expected to be accessible through primary and secondary care facilities in India, making early cancer detection affordable to the poor and the middle class.

Early cancer detection techniques are not available at most hospitals in India, and the disease is usually diagnosed at late stages after clinical symptoms appear. Improved cancer detection alone can lead to significant improvements in cancer cure rates in the country, which makes new efforts in this area valuable.