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Cellestis Ltd. signs a Letter of Intent with FIND
Press release23 March 2006 Cellestis Ltd. signs agreement with FIND to introduce a new diagnostic for detecting latent tuberculosis (TB)
Signing of the Letter of Intent between FIND and Cellestis, March 2006
Melbourne, Australia --
Cellestis
Ltd is pleased to announce that it has signed a
Letter of Intent with the Foundation for
Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) to collaborate
in introducing QuantiFERON® - TB Gold (QFT-Gold),
a new and highly specific diagnostic test to
identify patients with latent TB in
public health settings in high burden countries.
The test was approved by the FDA in 2004 and is
increasingly being used in the industrialized
world. This agreement will facilitate evaluation
and demonstration of the utility and
cost-effectiveness of this test in high endemic
developing countries, where the burden of
tuberculosis is greatest.
Cellestis’ Chief Scientific Officer, Dr. James Rothel, commented: “We are very pleased about our collaboration with FIND. As the developers of this TB diagnostic, we are excited that this new and cutting edge technology is being tested for use in countries where so many people need it.” It is estimated that more than one third of the world's population is infected with TB. Once in decline, TB is now experiencing a resurgence, fuelled in part by the HIV/AIDS epidemic. It is now the leading killer of people infected with the virus, and has also become the single biggest killer in developing nations of women between ages 15 and 44. The QFT-Gold test is specific and sensitive and could be used in high burden, endemic countries as it does not produce, unlike the tuberculin skin test, false positives due to BCG vaccinations or cross reactions with other mycobacteria that do not cause human disease. The QFT-Gold test will allow for the early detection and treatment of latent tuberculosis infection. FIND will work with national Ministries of Health and TB control programs to establish demonstration projects in which the impact and cost effectiveness of this test are to be assessed. The initial studies are likely to involve the evaluation of the test in people with HIV, or who are living in a household, or community, with active TB patients. These two groups are at high risk of developing active tuberculosis. Dr. Giorgio Roscigno, Chief Executive Officer of FIND, affirmed, "We are excited and hopeful that this new diagnostic for patients at high risk of developing active tuberculosis will help doctors to more reliably identify latent TB infection, enabling them to treat these patients earlier and more effectively, and as a result contribute to the elimination of this disease.” Cellestis Ltd has agreed to grant FIND rights to make the QFT-Gold test available at an affordable price in the public health sector of developing countries. In return, FIND will aim to provide these products at the lowest possible price, reflecting primarily the additional costs associated with transport and distribution. The partnership with FIND will provide the critical support to speed up evaluation and demonstration of the QFT-Gold diagnostic, including clinical materials and assistance with field trials, in high burden developing countries.
About Cellestis (www.cellestis.com) About FIND (http://www.finddiagnostics.org) Media inquiries: Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) © Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics 2008. Click here to see the copyright notice |
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