A Medical Device Daily
Strategic Diagnostics (Newark, Delaware) reported a collaborative agreement with the University of Delaware (also Newark), in conjunction with the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center at Christiana Care Health System, to develop biomarkers that detect prostate cancer metastasis.
Scientific findings suggest that cancer cells implanting in normal tissue of the body cause damage to surrounding proteins upon breaking away from the primary tumor, leaving behind protein molecule fragments. These fragments are indicators that the cancer has metastasized.
SDI will work to develop antibodies to detect the protein fragments left by the invading cancer cells. The results of tests that employ such antibodies would help determine the stage and severity of the cancer, and allow medical professionals to develop effective treatment options for patients with metastatic disease.
Mary Farach-Carson, professor of biological sciences and materials sciences and engineering at the University of Delaware, also serves as director of the Center for Translational Cancer Research (CTCR), a collaborative initiative among the State of Delaware, the University of Delaware, the Delaware Biotechnology Institute and the Helen F. Graham Cancer Center.
Farach-Carson has been conducting research in the area of prostate cancer metastasis, which will be the focus of the collaboration with SDI.
In other agreements and contracts news:
• CPC of America (Sarasota, Florida) said it has entered into a manufacturing agreement with BC Tech (Santa Cruz, California) According to the agreement, BC Tech will manufacture the MedClose vascular closure system (VCS), a Class II extravascular puncture-closure device that may be used with a biological sealant for worldwide commercial application in diagnostic and interventional cardiovascular procedures.
Under the terms of the agreement, BC Tech will be responsible for manufacturing the MedClose system for use in commercial applications to seal the femoral artery access site following cardiac and peripheral vascular catheterization procedures when approved.
BC Tech will also build prototypes of larger caliber for potential use in percutaneous procedures. Initially, BC Tech will manufacture MedClose systems on a limited basis and does not expect to commence large scale manufacturing until the Company has obtained commercial application approvals.
• DocuSys (Atlanta), an anesthesia information management system (AIMS), medication management, and pre-surgical care management system provider, reported that it has signed an agreement with the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania (HUP; Philadelphia) to take over the maintenance of their AIMS environment. HUP is part of the University of Pennsylvania Health System.
• Nanogen (San Diego) said Celera (Rockville, Maryland) has extended its license agreement of Nanogen's patent portfolio in molecular biology to develop additional diagnostic products.
Celera will use Nanogen's Minor Groove Binder (MGB) technology to develop in vitro diagnostic products for cardiovascular and oncological applications. This is an expansion of the original license agreement, signed in 2004, in which Celera licensed the technology for development of a hepatitis C genotyping product for individual patient management, monitoring and treatment.
Under the agreement, Celera will pay Nanogen an upfront license fee, milestone and anniversary fees throughout development, and a royalty on sales of the diagnostic products.
• VirtualHealth Technologies (Lexington, Kentucky), the parent company of Envoii Healthcare, reported that it has finalized a licensing agreement with Private Access (Aliso Viejo, California) to include the Envoii System Tray Notifier technology as part of Private Access' software platform.
Private Access makes web-based tools that allow patients and healthcare professionals to control both the privacy and accessibility of confidential personal health records.