KUALA LUMPUR (April 4): Malaysian Genomics Resource Centre Bhd (MGRC) has secured a Covid-19 surveillance contract from the Institute for Medical Research (IMR), the biomedical research arm of the Ministry of Health (MoH).

The genomics and biopharmaceutical specialist is one of the private laboratories that IMR has engaged to outsource genome surveillance of SARS-CoV-2.

“We are pleased to support IMR and MoH in this important effort to monitor the evolution of the Covid-19 virus, its variants and sub-variants.

“With our expertise and knowledge in genomics and bioinformatics, we can help IMR track and trace the virus for any variants of concern that the government needs to be informed of as well as prepare for,” said MGRC’s executive director Datuk Alvin Nesakumar in a statement.

MGRC, whose cell laboratory is the only privately-owned BioSafety Level 2 (BSL-2) facility in Malaysia with the Current Good Manufacturing Practice (cGMP) certification, is moving towards becoming a premier healthcare provider through the production of chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cells for cancer immunotherapy for solid cancers, as well as other cell engineering services.

BSL-2 and cGMP certifications indicate that a laboratory facility has stringent measures for biocontainment standards and ultra-pure laboratory environments to safely work on human cells.

The group added that it is also ISO 9001:2015, ISO 15189:2014 and ISO 17025:2017 certified under the Integrated Management System.

On Monday's (April 4) noon break, MGRC shares rose 10.06% or 8.5 sen to settle at 93 sen, giving it a market value of RM114.84 million. It saw some 21 million shares traded.