Chembio
Diagnostics, a leader in point-of-care (POC) diagnostic tests for infectious
diseases, today announced that it has entered into an exclusive agreement with
Integrated BioTherapeutics, Inc. (IBT), a biotechnology company focused on the
discovery of novel vaccines and therapeutics for emerging infectious diseases.
Under the terms of the agreement, Chembio will combine its patented DPP®
technology with IBT’s proprietary Ebola reagents to develop POC diagnostic
tests for Ebola and febrile illness. Chembio will have exclusive rights to any
POC product developed through this agreement. Financial terms of the agreement
were not disclosed.
While
Ebola has caused multiple outbreaks since 1976, the frequency of epidemics in
the past 15 years has drastically increased and the current outbreak in West
Africa has reached unprecedented dimensions. Over 10,000 people have been
infected with Ebola and recent cases outside the African continent are drawing
concern from public health officials. Currently, the diagnosis of Ebola
hemorrhagic fever can only be performed in specialized laboratories. This
limitation significantly delays the identification and isolation of the
patients who have Ebola and in turn likely makes it more difficult to control
an outbreak or prevent new epidemics.
Javan
Esfandiari, Chembio’s Chief Science & Technology Officer and the inventor
of Chembio’s DPP® technology, commented, “We are pleased to partner with IBT, a
biotechnology company with extensive experience and a substantial number of
reagents for Ebola and other filoviruses, to develop a DPP® Ebola assay. In
2013, we partnered with the U.S. Government to develop a multiplex POC febrile
illness assay which, in 20 minutes, can detect antigens from five different
viruses, bacteria, and parasites with a single, finger-stick drop of blood. The
resulting product, DPP® Febrile Illness Assay, is currently in clinical trials
in several countries, including the region of West Africa. Our intent is to
develop a stand-alone POC DPP® Ebola test and also include an Ebola test as
part of our existing multiplex DPP® Febrile Illness Assay.”
John
Sperzel, Chembio’s Chief Executive Officer, commented, “The partnership with
IBT is a significant step in our continued efforts to expand Chembio’s POC
infectious disease portfolio. Our prior success developing the multiplex DPP®
Febrile Illness Assay demonstrates Chembio’s ability to create such tests in a
short amount of time, and we believe this partnership illustrates the value
that our DPP® technology brings to the broader diagnostic market. Through this
agreement, Chembio’s goal is to further develop innovative, sensitive and
specific POC diagnostic tests for detection of febrile illnesses, including
Ebola.”
M.
Javad Aman, President and Chief Scientific Officer of IBT, commented, “We are
facing a humanitarian crisis and global public health challenge. Development of
a rapid POC test for Ebola will be a critical step towards enabling early
detection and quarantine that could help save countless lives. Through this
partnership, the capabilities of the two companies will be combined to produce
a POC product we believe will meet this serious challenge in a timely manner.”
For
more information, visit www.chembio.com
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