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Proteome Systems joins fight against global
tuberculosis threat
Press releaseJanuary 31 2006 Proteome Systems Joins Fight Against Global Tuberculosis Threat; Agreement with Geneva-Based Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics Supports Development of PXL's Novel BiomarkersSydney, Australia -- Proteome Systems (ASX:PXL) announced today that it has signed a formal agreement with the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) for the development of PXL's novel Tuberculosis (TB) biomarkers for incorporation into a faster, more accurate point-of-care (POC) active TB test.The formal agreement follows a letter of intent signed with FIND, which was announced at BIO 2005, and details development milestones and financial and non-financial commitments. PXL's diagnostic POC platform is set to play a role in the battle against TB, one of the world's most prevalent infections which kills over 2 million people every year. An estimated 10-15 million people in the US are infected with TB with one in ten of those people likely to develop active TB, according to the United States National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. According to PXL's CEO, Stephen Porges, the partnership with FIND will provide the critical support to speed the development of the test including clinical material, assistance with clinical trials and fast tracking of registration. Proteome Systems has in return granted FIND rights to use resulting reagents for incorporation into an affordable product for the public health sector in developing countries. "We are now aggressively pursuing opportunities to partner our unique TB Biomarkers and our diagnostic POC platform across a range of other diseases and regions. This qualitative and quantitative diagnostic POC format has the potential to transform the way the medical community diagnoses and controls a range of diseases," said Porges. Giorgio Roscigno, Chief Executive Officer of FIND said, "PXL's innovative biomarker discovery platform has the potential to identify TB proteins in infected individuals and is poised to be an important breakthrough in development of improved TB diagnostics." "We look forward to developing a new generation of diagnostics that will greatly improve the tracking and treatment of deadly infectious diseases," said Roscigno. PXL Head of Diagnostics Dr. Jenny Harry said, "Unlike most currently available TB diagnostics, a new test developed employing PXL's reagents would directly detect proteins expressed by the TB causative microbe Mycobacterium tuberculosis in infected individuals, as well as measuring the severity of an infection." "Such a test would need to be an easily administered, POC system, delivering an accurate result within minutes," said Harry. Once in decline, TB is now experiencing a resurgence, fueled 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 aged between 15 and 44. In the developed world there has also been a rapid re-emergence due to the increase in travel, HIV and immigration. Meanwhile the drug-resistant strains of the TB bacterium now affect up to 50 million people. According to a recent study published in The Journal of American Medical Association the incidence of drug-resistant TB has intensified and is now reaching new populations in the developed and developing worlds. More than one third of the world's population is infected with TB.
About Proteome Systems
Additional information about Proteome Systems can be found at www.proteomesystems.com. 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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