As Ghanei, who is also a member of COVID-19 Scientific Committee, elaborated, the available test kits have been provided to Iran by China, UNICEF, and WHO and there is a sufficient number of them to meet domestic demand within the next two months.
"To supply the demand in the country, the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology asked Iranian knowledge-based companies to start production of the kits," he said, "After conducting required research, five out of 50 applicant companies were selected to start production of the kits in Iran."
"Their first products will go to the market as of March 21," he said.
Since the beginning of entry of coronavirus, into the country, the Biotechnology Development Headquarters of the Vice-Presidency for Science and Technology in cooperation with Food and Drug Administration of Iran and Ministry of Health issued a call that if a knowledge-based company is able to produce a drug and/or kit, they should introduce themselves in order to meet the demand of the country in the field of rapid diagnosis of coronavirus and treatment of the disease.
As Ghanei informed earlier on Monday, the clinical trial of Iranian COVID-19 drugs started.
On March 2, WHO sent its first planeload of assistance to Iran to help fight coronavirus, dispatching six medics with tons of medical equipment and test kits aboard a UAE military aircraft, while the third consignment of test kits as part of aids to contain Covid-19 and first of UNICEF, arrived in Iran on the same day.
MNA/IRN83706743