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Leadership in hematology testing market in India

The increasing incidence of blood disorders, over the years, is expected to dominate the global hematology testing products market. Covid-19 outbreak too has had a significant impact on the hematology market as there is an increasing focus on hematology parameters for the assessment of Covid-19 around the world. According to a research article published in the International Journal of Laboratory Hematology, 2020, a clinical hematology laboratory has a critical role in providing a number of useful prognostic markers, such as lymphopenia, neutrophilia, leukocytosis, and thrombocytopenia, which are common findings in patients infected with SARS-CoV2 virus.

All this is driving the demand for hematology tests, and the hematology market is expected to record a CAGR of 5.2 percent during 2022 to 2027.

Hematology testing market in India
Although the first automated hematology analyzers were launched in the 1950s, the adoption rate of these analyzers was insignificant. As per statistics, only 18–20 units were sold in a period of 2 years! The adoption was slow because of the high operational cost as well as capital expenditure. At that point in time, peripheral smear (PS) was the preferred choice of 99 percent laboratories in India. However, this method was time consuming, and the results too were not reliable.

Over the years, there has also been an increasing demand for compact, powerful, and affordable analyzers to provide accurate and reliable differential analysis of blood counts. Common requirements include high throughput, broad parameter ranges, a small footprint, and minimum blood volumes to cater for pediatric and point-of-care applications.

Hematology product range from Transasia – The pioneers in Indian IVD
Transasia Bio-Medicals Ltd. has effectively transformed the journey of hematology testing in India from manual testing to automation through its customized solutions. On the occasion of its 40th Anniversary in 2019, Transasia launched Erba H 360 (3-part differential hematology analyzer), Erba H 560 (5-part differential hematology analyzer), and Erba Elite 580 (5-part differential hematology analyzer with autoloader), its range of three- and five-part fully automated hematology analyzers, which have been developed at Erba Europe, the global R&D facility of Transasia.

And in just about three years, more than 15,000 units of the above-mentioned instruments have been installed across the country. In FY 2021-22 alone, over 6000 Erba hemat analyzers have been sold – a feat that has propelled Erba hematology analyzers to become India’s fastest- and largest-selling hematology range ever by Transasia!

These analyzers have become a popular choice among pathologists because of their robustness, host of features that offer seamless operations, affordability, and the prompt availability of technical and application support. Wockhardt Hospital, Mumbai; Rainbow Group, Hyderabad; AIIMS, Guntur; Kidwai Institute of Oncology, Bangalore; Army Hospital, Delhi; Homi Bhabha Cancer Hospital (Tata Memorial Hospital), Varanasi, and AIIMS, Rishikesh, are some of the key institutes where the Erba hematology range is aiding clinicians and the lab technologists in offering accurate and timely diagnosis.

Extending reach to Tier-III and IV towns
Around 70 percent of our population has never got their blood tested because they have no access to the most essential diagnostic services. And this is where we believe our hematology solutions make the difference. With the new range, we adopted a change in approach with respect to the need of the marketplace, pricing, and service, among others. While serving the Tier-I cities, we also ensured that we reached out to the laboratories in Tier-II and IV cities and towns. We targeted new laboratories in the mini-metro areas of larger cities and established laboratories in smaller towns to fulfill the unmet needs. Interestingly, 60 percent of our sales came from these Tier-II to IV cities and towns. The government e-marketplace (GeM) is another excellent platform that we explored. It gave us an opportunity to reach out to the central and state healthcare machineries.

Transasia sales

Year Quantity (in nos.)

Reagents
(₹ cr.)

3PDA 5PDA Total
2019-20 3005 700 3705 292
2020-21 4025 880 4905 202
2021-22 5190 1200 6390 250
Total 12220 2780 15000 744

Transasia also boasts of the largest after-sales and service team in the Indian IVD industry and are able to penetrate and reach the interiors of the country, especially Tier-III and IV towns.

The Erba range of hematology diagnostic reagents
Transasia has one of the largest hematology reagent filling lines in India with a capacity of 30,000 liters per day. This makes Transasia the first and the only Indian IVD company to have a fully automated production line made of 316L stainless steel and meets GMP requirements. Specially designed for Erba range of hematology diagnostic reagents, the system is free of manual intervention, which ensures that reagents are consistently produced and are devoid of contamination.

Towards a social cause
For over 10 years now, Transasia and Parent Association Thalassemic Unit Trust (PATUT) have been actively associated with fund-raising activities for the benefit of thalassemic children. Transasia also organized blood donation drives, awareness camps in more than 12 colleges across Mumbai and conducted screening tests on more than 3000 students.

Looking forward
An increasing demand for lab tests has made it essential to develop technologies, which assist in faster diagnosis. Making these technologies affordable, adaptable, and accessible to the benefit of Tier-III and IV towns and villages will be Transasia’s primary focus. In the next two years, Transasia aims to double its revenue in the hematology segment. There is no doubt on the leadership of Erba hematology brand in India.

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