Diagnostic HYBRIDS Receives Third Frontier Grant For Development Of Assays To Monitor Drug Resistance And Vaccine Production

Main Category: Immune System / Vaccines
Also Included In: HIV / AIDS;  Liver Disease / Hepatitis
Article Date: 30 Jun 2008 - 2:00 PDT

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Diagnostic HYBRIDS has received funding through the Biomedical Research Commercialization Program (BRCP) to develop more sensitive and affordable assays for the monitoring of patients infected with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and/or Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) and to produce vaccines against influenza virus. The BRCP is part of the Third Frontier Project, a push by Ohio lawmakers to bring biotechnology and related businesses into the state of Ohio.

The project and award bring together researchers from Diagnostic HYBRIDS, Case Western Reserve University, The Case Western Reserve/University Hospitals of Cleveland Center for AIDS Research, and Apath LLC, a St. Louis-based pharmaceutical development services company. The team will commercialize systems that monitor drug resistance in HIV, HCV, and Influenza infections and will aid in developing treatments and vaccines for these diseases.

"HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis C virus are two of the most devastating human pathogens of our time, infecting 40 and 180 million people respectively worldwide, and killing a combined 6 million people annually," said Miguel Quinones-Mateu, Ph.D., Senior Director of the HIV Program for Diagnostic HYBRIDS. "Influenza is another deadly disease that is part of the national emerging infectious agent preparedness program. Currently, influenza is largely responsible for 300,000 deaths per year, emerging influenza strains in the past have resulted in global pandemics, and we must not forget the constant threat of bird flu. Together, these three viruses cause more deaths than any other agent, disease, or disorder."

Quinones-Mateu added that "treatment monitoring and vaccine development involving these viral diseases represent a multibillion dollar market opportunity, and this BRCP award cements Ohio's economic investment and commercialization role in it."

The researchers are using a yeast-based cloning technology first developed by Eric J. Arts, associate professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University, to investigate drug resistance and vaccine development for HIV, HCV, and influenza. A world leader in studying HIV pathogenesis, and in collaboration with Diagnostic HYBRIDS since 2006, Dr. Arts and his research team have focused on HIV drug resistance testing. The methodology will first be commercialized for HIV. Future efforts will be directed towards cost-efficient ways to monitor drug resistance and assist in the characterization of new drugs and vaccines for HCV and influenza.

"We have been working hard for several years with Diagnostic HYBRIDS to get this technology to the point where it can be brought to market for the benefit of patients in Ohio, the US, and around the world," says Arts. "The funding from the BRCP grant will help us achieve that goal with greater speed. This is a great example of Ohio's research and business worlds coming together for the greater good."

The yeast vector technology platform shows promise for commercialization in national and international markets, and will create additional employment opportunities in Cleveland, where Diagnostic HYBRIDS opened a research and development laboratory to serve the project in February 2008. The company's global headquarters is located in Athens, Ohio.

"We are grateful to the Third Frontier Commission for their support of this key initiative," said David R. Scholl, Ph.D., Chairman, President & CEO of Diagnostic HYBRIDS. "Our goal has always been to participate in the development of a center of excellence for virology in Ohio. Through our long-term partnership with Case Western Reserve University, we have begun this effort, and the BRCP award will greatly enhance our ability to accomplish this goal in an accelerated fashion," Scholl added.

About Diagnostic HYBRIDS

Diagnostic HYBRIDS invents, develops, manufactures, and sells innovative diagnostic and analytical products for a wide range of viral respiratory diseases, herpes virus infections, and other specific viral and thyroid diseases. The company also develops and commercializes innovative and genetically engineered cell-based detection products for the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry, with an initial focus on pharmacology assays and products that measure drug clearance and anti-viral interventions with drugs and vaccines. The company is certified to ISO 13485 standards and manufactures live continuous and primary cell cultures for clinical diagnostics and pharmacology assays from its headquarters in Athens, Ohio. Diagnostic HYBRIDS was named one of the 500 Fastest Growing Companies in America in 2004 and 2005 by Inc. Magazine. The company is a pillar member of BioOhio, a statewide organization of bioscience companies accelerating the bioscience and healthcare economy in Ohio. For more information, please visit http://www.dhiusa.com.

About Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine

Founded in 1843, Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine is the largest medical research institution in Ohio and 15th largest among the nation's medical schools for research funding from the National Institutes of Health. Eleven Nobel Laureates have been affiliated with the school. The School of Medicine is recognized throughout the international medical community for outstanding achievements in teaching and in 2002, became the third medical school in history to receive a pre-eminent review from the national body responsible for accrediting the nation's academic medical institutions. The School's innovative and pioneering Western Reserve2 curriculum interweaves four themes-research and scholarship, clinical mastery, leadership, and civic professionalism-to prepare students for the practice of evidence-based medicine in the rapidly changing health care environment of the 21st century.

http://www.dhiusa.com