A round of applause filled a hall in Manila, the Philippines, on the evening of October 29, as an Indian company dedicated to fighting tuberculosis was named the winner of the 18th Kochon Prize.
The Chong Kun Dang Kochon Foundation, chaired by Jung Jae-jung, announced on the 30th that it had held the award ceremony in Manila and selected Molbio Diagnostics of India, a molecular diagnostics company, as this year’s laureate.
The theme of this year’s Kochon Prize was “Innovation and achievement in introducing and implementing new technologies for ending tuberculosis.” Molbio’s Truenat platform is the world’s first World Health Organization-endorsed point-of-care (POC) molecular diagnostic technology. Powered by solar batteries, it provides accurate diagnostic testing even in regions lacking electricity or laboratory infrastructure. In addition to tuberculosis, Truenat is also used for detecting more than 40 infectious diseases, including COVID-19, hepatitis, and human papillomavirus (HPV).
This innovation has significantly advanced the global fight against tuberculosis. Through partnerships with the World Health Organization (WHO), the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND), and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, the Truenat system has been deployed in India, Nigeria, the Philippines, Bangladesh, and other countries. More than 10,000 devices are now in use worldwide, collectively conducting over 15 million tuberculosis tests.
In the Philippines’ Bantayan Islands, the number of TB screenings increased about 13-fold and diagnoses tripled after Truenat’s introduction. In countries such as Timor-Leste and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, mobile diagnostic vehicles equipped with Truenat enable same-day screening, diagnosis, and linkage to treatment in remote areas.
Sriram Natarajan, CEO of Molbio Diagnostics, said, “Winning the Kochon Prize is a tremendous honor for our team and a new source of motivation in our mission to end tuberculosis. We will continue accelerating research on new specimen types and developing innovative technologies to contribute to global health.”
The Kochon Prize, symbolized by a medal featuring the late Lee Jong-geun, founder of Chong Kun Dang, is a legacy of the collaboration between Chairman Lee Jang-han of Chong Kun Dang and the late Lee Jong-wook, former Director-General of the WHO. In 2003, after supporting Dr. Lee’s successful election as WHO Director-General, Chairman Lee sought ways to make a meaningful international contribution and proposed establishing an award recognizing achievements in tuberculosis control. Despite initial skepticism, his persistence led to the creation of the Kochon Prize in 2005.
Each year, global experts select the laureate through an independent review process. The award provides a total of US$100,000 (₩140 million) in prize money. To date, the foundation has supported 13 researchers and 17 organizations, granting a total of ₩3.4 billion (US$2.5 million) in research funding to strengthen global health research capacity.
Chairman Jung Jae-jung of the Chong Kun Dang Kochon Foundation stated, “Molbio Diagnostics has created a breakthrough in the global fight against tuberculosis through its innovative technology. We hope that future advances in science and technology will continue to bring treatment opportunities to patients in underprivileged environments and contribute to the eradication of diseases worldwide.”
