|
JULY 11th, 2005
Adlyfe, Inc., based in Rockville, Maryland, reports that it has
developed a sensitive blood test for protein folding diseases. The test, based on synthetic peptides, detects an increase
in defective proteins in the bloodstream. So far, Adlyfe has been able to detect prion diseases, which Mad Cow disease is
one, in a number of animals. According to Alan S. Rudolph, CEO, the test allows for early detection of the disease before
it has accumulated in the brain, "We are very encouraged by the early results of our test which show we can detect disease
in blood and tissue samples from animals and humans. We look forward to offering a new test for early detection and diagnosis
of these debilitating diseases."
Adlyfe reports that it now has 11 patents pending related to protein
folding brain diseases, which also includes Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease.
JULY 11th, 2005
As the present generation ages, and develops the associated medical
problems, the ability to provide quality medical care at low cost is expected to become more difficult. One reason is that
patient visits will rise without a corresponding rise in the number of doctors. Telemedicine, the capability to monitor and
diagnose patients from a distance, is one solution to that problem. Low-cost medical instruments that interface via a wireless
connection to the Internet, or in the case of Housecall Plus, through a telephone line and modem, are expected to be instrumental
in that solution. According to Michael J. Coyle, President of St. Jude Medical's Cardiac Rhythm Management Division, "With
the number of ICD patients expected to expand significantly over the next few years, physicians face an enormous challenge
in managing regular follow-up visits for those patients. The version 2.1 software upgrade offers physicians even greater flexibility
to provide excellent follow-up care more efficiently when using the Housecall Plus system."
St. Jude has just received approval from the U.S. Food and Drug
Administration (FDA) for the software upgrade version 2.1 of its Housecall Plus remote patient monitoring system. That software
is designed to remotely monitor implantable cardiovinverter defibrallator (ICD) patients. The new software version helps create
PFD files of monitoring results and transmits them securely to the physician’s web site.
Other features of the Housecall Plus system include real time doctor-to-patient
communication, real-time electrograms, surface ECGs, signals and settings of the ICD, delivered therapies and stored electrograms.
Housecall Plus also supports a number of St. Jude’s medical devices. These include St. Jude Medical's Atlasand Epic
line of ICD and cardiac resynchronization therapy devices and pacemakers.
JULY 8th, 2005
As the lead partner of a regional consortium, the University of
Washington was awarded a $15.4 million grant to develop an advanced, portable medical diagnostic system that can be used to
quickly diagnose diseases anywhere a health worker can walk to. From the list of companies involved in the project, which
includes Nanogen, the silicon microarray company, Micronics, the lab-on-a-card company, and PATH, a non-profit health strategy
company, the road points to a device that combines the latest miniaturized microfluidic analysis and sampling technology with
the latest genetic clinical analysis technology.
Commenting on the group was Paul Yager, lead investigator on
the project and Vice Chair and Professor at the University of Washington’s Department of Bioengineering, "This is a
formidable group. Each partner brings vital skills and experience to the mix. I believe this combination is what led to our
being selected from such a wide range of applicants and it's what will make our efforts successful.”
The award is one of 43 research projects that have been funded through
the $436 million Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative. The initiative is specifically focused to improve health care
and provide treatment for the diseases of the poor, the majority of diseases. That market is considered under served because
of market dynamics and differences in cost of living in different geographic areas.
The target size for the final working system is expected to fit
in a pocket, or about the size of a handheld computer.
JUNE 30th, 2005
Topping off a $5.7 million Series A round in 2004, Exagen Diagnostics,
Inc. has completed a $7 million Series B round of financing. Participants in the new round included Tullis-Dickerson &
Co., the round leader, as well as vSpring Capital and Wasatch Venture Fund.
Waneta Tuttle, Ph.D., Exagen’s President, outlined the budget
for the funds, "This round of funding gives Exagen the resources to accelerate our go-to-market plans and advance our pipeline.
We plan to be the first provider of genomic marker IVD kits for breast cancer that enable widespread use in any CLIA-certified
laboratory. Our first tests are the Key2 Breast Cancer Prognosis panel of products that detect changes in DNA copy number
in both hormone receptor-positive and hormone receptor-negative tumors."
Exagen’s IVD kits are used to predict the risk of the advancement
of a disease and a patient's individual response to a specific drug planned for treatment. The company in addition to its
breast cancer tests, plans tests for hepatitis C in order to determine if a patient will respond to treatments with interferon
and ribavirin.
JUNE 30th, 2005
STMicroelectronics, which first introduced its genetic Polymerase
Chain Reaction (PCR) MEMS-based silicon chip in 2002, has furthered its involvement with the biotechnology market
through a co-development agreement with CombiMatrix Group, a unit of Acacia Research Corporation (NASDAQ: CBMX) (NASDAQ:ACTG).
The agreement, which will received financial support from STMicroelectronics, will seek to integrate CombiMatrix’s ElectroChemical
Detection Technology (ECD), with STMicroelectronics In-Check Lab-on-Chip platform for applications in the point-of-care diagnostics
market.
One of the goals of the project is to develop a feature rich and
more sensitive technology than current fluorescent/optical detection technology.
JUNE 22nd, 2005
Grant Life Sciences Looks to $2 Million in Secured
Convertible Notes for Cervical Cancer Test Technology
Grant Life Sciences (OTC Bulletin Board: GLIF) expects to complete $2 million in financing
in connection with 10 percent Callable Secured Convertible Notes. The company plans to use the funding to increase its revenue
stream from its AccuDx product line. According to Stan Yakatan, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "In addition to providing
us with working capital, this financing allows us to begin executing our plans to generate revenues from our AccuDx product
line, and it allows us to substantially advance development of our cervical cancer blood test."
JUNE 1st, 2005
Chronix Biomedial Brings in $1.6 Million for Disease Monitoring
and Detection
Chronix Biomedical, a company that develops disease analysis tests for the human and livestock
markets, has closed $1.1 million. The funding, in the form of a convertible note, came from the Keiretsu Forum.
John Dilts, President of the Los Angeles and Westlake Village Chapters
of Keiretsu Forum, noted that Chronix' technology would be helpful in the testing and treatment of two diseases, "We are very
excited about the important work pioneered by Chronix Biomedical. This is a company that can make a real difference in the
testing and treatment of Myeloma as well as Mad Cow Disease. We are hopeful that our member investors will see a tremendous
return on their investment and we are proud to support this very worthy cause."
Dr. Brian Durie, IMF Chairman of the Board and Director of Myeloma
Programs, Aptium Oncology noted the prospects for the Myeloma "Ultimately we see this as a simple way to evaluate and treat
Myeloma at a molecular level. This is one way to bring treatment for Myeloma into the 21st Century."
One of the Mad Cow disease products is used to determine if a cow
is susceptible to coming down with Mad Cow disease. Chronix points out that Mad Cow disease, like scrapies, appears to be
transmitted to different species by the consumption of infected animals. One theory is that Mad Cow disease evolved as an
off-shoot of scrapies - as a direct result of feeding parts of infected sheep to cows. As the disease evolves in a new host,
it often will take on a new form with different symptoms.
JUNE 1st, 2005
GeneOhm Sciences, a company that develops molecular diagnostic tests,
reported that it has closed its follow-on Series C funding. The funding came through Wasatch Advisors.
The company's technology is related to the new field of personalized
medicine, which is expected to dramatically reduce the time and costs associated with the identification of infections.
Molecular based DNA microarray analysis is an alternative to older culturing methods used to indentify infectious bacteria.
According to Karey Barker, Principal and Portfolio Manager, of Wasatch Advisors, "We believe that GeneOhm's portfolio of current
products, content and technology, combined with the experience they have in developing and commercializing new products will
continue to change the way medicine can be practiced." Besides, time and costs, personalized medical techniques are expected
to also provide for more accurate diagnostics and the more targeted drug selection for treatment.
GeneOhm's current products include two rapid, amplified nucleic
acid-based assays. These include the IDI-Strep B Assay for detection of Group B Streptococcus and the IDI-MRSA Assay for detection
of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.
MAY 27th, 2005
Research Think Tank to License and Distribute HIV Drug
Resistance Test
Research Think Tank Inc. has entered into a three year licensing and distribution agreement
with Virvo BVBA. The agreement relates to blood analysis tests used to determine the response of HIV-1 to anti-retroviral
drugs. The Antivirogram and vircoTYPE technologies are expected to complement
Research Think Tanks services. According to Robert M. Lloyd JR,
CEO at Research Think Tank,
"Combining Virco's Antivirogram and vircoTYPE technologies with
Research Think Tank's current portfolio of HIV-1 resistance genotyping and supporting esoteric molecular testing significantly
strengthens our comprehensive menu of services. Furthermore, the convenience of combined testing services for HIV-1 phenotyping,
genotyping and/or vircoTYPE reporting under single test codes will be offered as the PhenoTanker-GT and GenoTanker-VT assays."
Research Think Tank lists its services as FDA approved testing for
Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 (HIV-1), Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 2 (HIV-2), Hepatitis A Virus (HAV), Hepatitis
B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), Cytomegalovirus (CMV), as well as human genetic markers.
Virco BVBA, based in Belgium has applied its bioinformatics efforts
to phenotypic drug resistance testing as related to HIV disease management.
MAY 24th, 2005
In line with current trends in the microarray medical diagnostic
market, DNAPrint genomics, Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: DNAP) will soon start an analysis of its OVANOME predictive assay. The
goal of the study is to further the development of a diagnostic test to determine if a specific ovarian cancer patient will
elicit a positive response from Taxol-Carboplatin (TC) chemotherapy. According to the company, TC "elicits only a 70% positive
response rate." Furthermore according to Hector J. Gomez, M.D., Ph.D., DNAPrint's Chief Medical Officer, "This study could
lead to the development of a diagnostic test for predicting TC response, enabling physicians to identify patients most likely
to respond to TC therapy prior to treatment. It could also spare non-responding patients from going through a treatment program
that would not be effective in the first place."
Noting the seriousness of failed TC was Rafael Blanco, M.D., the
principal investigator at Bay Area Oncology, "Patients who do not respond to first-line treatment for ovarian cancer exhibit
higher mortality than those who do. Methods that allow the inference of a patient's reaction to treatment could enable those
genetically predisposed for non-response to avoid a failed TC first-line and be treated immediately with an alternative therapy."
MAY 20th, 2005
Tessera Announces Blood Test -To Detect
Prostrate Tumors
Tessera Inc., based in Seattle, has announced plans to begin clinical trials on EPCA (Early Prostate
Cancer Antigen), its blood test for prostrate cancer by years' end. Development work as well as a study on the blood test's
accuracy, was performed by Dr. Robert Getzenberg, Director of the Brady Urological Research Institute at Johns Hopkins University.
In that study, published in the May 15, 2005 issue of Cancer Research, the EPCA protein was measured across a range of individuals
- from the healthy to those afflicted with a number of health problems, which included prostrate as well as a number of different
types of cancer.
Dr. Getzenberg summed up the results of the study, "This new blood
test (EPCA), when coupled with PSA screening, may help reduce the number of unnecessary biopsies and undetected prostate tumors.
In addition to being highly sensitive to prostate cancer, the EPCA blood test is also very specific to it, meaning that other
cancers and benign prostate conditions are not detected, thus boosting doctors' confidence that a positive EPCA test is really
a sign of prostate cancer." Dr. Getzenberg also elaborated on the goals of the study, "Our ultimate objective is to differentiate
between aggressive and non-aggressive forms of prostate and colon cancer. Through our collaboration with Tessera over the
past three years, we are making significant progress toward the achievement of this important goal."
APRIL 25th, 2005
NanoLogix, Inc., (Pink Sheets: IFEC), a nanobiotechnology company
focused on the test kits that enable the early detection of fatal diseases in order to disenfranchise the disease, released
a study that is said to confirm that disseminated MAC and M. simiae disease exist among AIDS patients. Paul Hyman, Ph.D. Dr.
Hyman, an investigator with NanoLogix, stated "With NanoLogix's Identikits, MAC could be detected significantly sooner than
expected for normal culture techniques."
Dr. Mitchell Felder, CEO of NanoLogix, explained the social-economic
benefits of the company's work, "Dr. Hyman's validation of NanoLogix's patented technology and the subsequent FDA registration
clearly show that we can identify a costly disease in a fraction of the time. These results may also have enormous implications
in the treatment of TB, AIDS and MAC sufferers, as antibiotic-sensitivity tests can now be performed early enough to make
a difference in these patients." A leading cause of death is AIDS patients according to the company are MAC related diseases.
The presence of MAC in an AIDS patient most often indicates that a patient has just four months to live.
APRIL 21st, 2005
GenoMed, Inc. (Pink Sheets: GMED), a company that focuses on disease
management, announced that it has developed the Healthchip used to diagnose the most common types of cancers. The company
says that its own tests have shown that the Healthchip correctly identifies the type of cancer in 85 percent of all cases.
The chip, for example, examines a DNA sample for mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes and indicates breast cancer if the
mutated genes are found. The company finds that its Healthchip has even higher accurately ratings for certain categories
of women – such as Caucasian, Dr. David Moskowitz, CEO of GenoMed, commented on the accuracy and false positives,
"It's important for any screening test to have as few false positives as possible. GenoMed's Healthchip currently has none."
The company says that tests for BRAC1 and BRAC2 mutations cost in
the order of $1200.00, but are for research purposes only.
APRIL 18th, 2005
Xenomis with Inexpensive DNA Tests
Gathers $2.95 Million in Private Placement
Xenomics, Inc. (OTCBB:XNOM), which is now focused on the development of non-intensive
DNA test technologies, has reported the close of a private placement that has resulted in $2.95 million in new financing for
the company.
Dr. Randy White, CEO of Xenomics summed up the company's development focus and how
the funding will be used, "This funding will help us achieve the next round of milestones in the commercialization of our
proprietary Transrenal DNA testing platform for medical and life science applications. We are developing highly effective,
safe and inexpensive tests that have the potential to improve health care for millions of patients worldwide who are living
with AIDS and other diseases, for pregnant women who need to learn about the health of their unborn children, and for a range
of other applications."
Xenomics discovered the presence of Tr-DNA, which unlike other types of DNA is passed
through the kidneys and out of the body instead of found just in the blood. The detection of Tr-DNA in the urine, give scientists
the capability to eliminate the need for blood samples (considered a biological health hazard in the medical world), and use
safer urine samples instead. This in turn eliminates the need to use needles, which are also biological health and environmental
hazards. Dr. Samuil Umansky, a scientist at the company, headed the team that discovered Tr-DNA.
|
