Overview

ID Biomedical's business is focused on two areas: genomics and vaccine development. The company uses its Cycling Probe Technology to develop applications in genomics and diagnostics. That technology has been used to develop a diagnostic for antibiotic-resistant bacteria and is being licensed to genomics companies for use in such things as SNP identification.

The company's Cycling Probe Technology (CPT) detects specific nucleic acid sequences by using an enzyme that recognizes and cleaves a complex formed by hybridizing the probe to the target sequence, but leaves the target intact. Because CPT does not amplify target nucleic acids, it does not present the contamination problems that polymerase chain reaction does.

ID Biomedical’s lead vaccine product is StreptAvax, a multivalent recombinant vaccine developed to cover the 26 serotypes of group A streptococcus thought to cause most group A streptococcus diseases. That product is in the Phase I/II clinical stage.

Partners

ID Biomedical has licensing agreements associated with its Cycling Probe Technology with Takara Biomedical Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Takara Shuzo Company Ltd.; DiscoveRx Corp. and PE Biosystems. The company also has a collaboration with the United States Army Medical Research and Material Command to develop a nasal vaccine against the plague, a potential bioterrorism threat.