@Halal January/February 2022 | Page 22

SpyGene aims to be a pioneer halal diagnostic clinical laboratory service-provider

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Innovation

@ Halal | January-February . 2022

Into halalan toyyiban

SpyGene aims to be a pioneer halal diagnostic clinical laboratory service-provider

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BY ALISA AMINUDIN
LABORATORY IS a controlled room or structure where scientific equipment is installed to conduct research , analysis , calibration , or measurement .
The laboratory is to evaluate samples and , therefore , designed to detect , identify , and quantify contaminants and diseases .
The primary halal analysis methods are now focused on swine DNA detection and alcohol content .
Whether the halal laboratory is for business or government purposes , its operation is entirely based on international guidelines and standards to assure the reliability of the test results .
Chief Executive Officer of SpyGene Abdul Rahman Wahiduddin said SpyGene Laboratories ( SpyGene ), a subsidiary of Revongen Corporation and incorporated in June 2021 , aims to be a pioneer halal diagnostic clinical laboratory service provider .
SpyGene Laboratories
SpyGene , a new clinical and molecular laboratory company , has several main divisions : Hematology , Clinical Chemistry and Immunoassay , Microbiology , Urinology and Molecular divisions .
“ SpyGene provides diagnostic laboratory
testing such as Rt-PCR for not only Covid-19 but for other tests such as dengue and other infectious diseases ,” said Abdul Rahman .
“ Routine blood screening such as glucose and cholesterol test monitoring and other regular blood tests are also provided by SpyGene .”
SpyGene commenced operations in October with six people , including the lab manager , lab technicians , and administrators .
Pioneering halal-certified clinical laboratory
Besides being a pioneer as a halal-certified clinical diagnostic laboratory service provider , Abdul Rahman is hopeful to have a lab in each State .
“ We recognise the challenges of healthcare providers to send samples due to geographical reasons . With our partners on board , we believe we can help solve those issues .
“ To be the pioneer a halal-certified clinical laboratory speaks for itself of how we differentiate ourselves from other laboratories .”
SpyGene ’ s critical partners are Mindray Medical , Chemopharm Sdn Bhd and DoctorOnCall .
SpyGene is based at Enterprise 1 , Technology Park Malaysia .
It also collaborated with Halvec Laboratories to get Halal Clinical Laboratory status .
“ Once we comply with the requirements , we will open a lab in each State to ensure
Abdul Rahman Wahiduddin said SpyGene Laboratories ( SpyGene ), aims to be a pioneer halal diagnostic clinical laboratory service provider .
we can connect with clinics and healthcare providers nationwide .
“ We are also hoping to work with partners in Southeast Asia and the Middle East . SpyGene certainly looks forward to revolutionising clinical laboratory service .”
Adopting halalan toyyiban
Halalan toyyiban is best described as allowed and permissible as long as it is Shariahcompliant , safe , and non-harmful .
In manufacturing , the equipment should not be contaminated by najis , according to Shariah law . Manufacturers are required to comply with ISO , CE and authority regulations .
“ I believe the system is in place , and the challenge is to ensure it complies with Shariah law .
“ We are lucky to have our ecosystem in place and strategic partners to support us in achieving our goals .
“ Ensuring SpyGene complies with halalan toyyiban requires us to work with manufacturers , suppliers and adopt standard operating procedures .
“ Our discussion with manufacturers are at an initial level . We are looking forward to our sister company , Halvec Laboratories , to advise us on being Shariah-compliant ,” said Abdul Rahman .
Halal certification influences international sales of medical devices and pharmaceuticals . Abdul Rahman opined that the halal clinical diagnostic laboratory was the new realm of clinical laboratory services .
“ Indonesia , Pakistan and India have the most significant number of Muslims .
“ Malaysia can be the first country to introduce halal clinical laboratory services to the world and further strengthen Malaysia ’ s status as the leading halal hub .”
Rahman added no additional costs would be incurred as there was already an existing ecosystem and support from the supply chain .
“ As we are working towards achieving a halal standard , we ensure our suppliers and manufacturers can help defray some of the costs .”
Implementing Islamic requirements
“ Thankfully , we have end-to-end support with Revongen Corporation being our holding company , Halvec Laboratory as our sister company , Vivantis Technologies as a research company , and manufacturers such as Mindray Medical and Chemopharm Sdn Bhd .
“ Our strategic partners have the same ideology and direction as us and are committed to supporting the idea .”
Challenges in halal development
The biggest challenge is in implementation .
“ In medical , we deal with samples such as blood , pus , stools and urine . And our machines are mainly from China and Europe .
“ We need to get every party aligned so that there is no compromise . They all have to understand halalan toyyiban to make sure the concept works .”