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| PamGene and KIT show first results in partnership for research in tuberculosis identification | | | ‘s-HERTOGENBOSCH/AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS - 4th January, 2002
During the recent European Meeting in Molecular Diagnostics, PamGene and KIT (Royal Tropical Institute) presented the first results of their research to develop rapid microarray diagnostics for tuberculosis identification and drug resistance monitoring. This work demonstrated that this is the world’s fastest microarray, achieved by pulsing the target through a porous substrate of different probes for mycobacteria species identification.
The joint four year research program will bring in clinical and research expertise from the KIT Biomedical Research group together with the patented technology (PamChipTM) provided by PamGene. The initial approach was to develop the PamChipTM with a focus on antibiotic resistance markers. The next phase of the partnership will be to optimise the PamChipTM as a tool for both drug resistance and identification. Therefore clinical trials will be organized.
HIV and TB
The increasing importance of tuberculosis (TB) in both industrialized and developing countries goes hand in hand with the HIV pandemic. The HIV virus, which causes AIDS, increases the risk of reactivation of TB. The World Health Organisation estimates that by the year 2000 about 14 million people will be co-infected with HIV and TB. By far the most ominous development in the resurgence of TB, is the appearance of resistant, and often multidrug-resistant forms of the TB bacillus and hence the need to determine resistant strains in order to optimize therapeutic efficacy.
PamGene and KIT expect that their collaboration in monitoring TB will attribute immensely to optimal therapeutic efficacy with species identification and antibiotic resistance profiling performed on a single chip within one hour. This application has already been demonstrated to be of value for pharmaceutical companies in decreasing the time for screening of new drugs and tests on antibiotic resistant genotypes.
About PamGene
PamGene, a European biotechnology company based in The Netherlands has patent-pending technologies for a high performance microarray platform that can be used for rapid diagnostics. The PamChipTM allows faster, more accurate and cost-effective test results.
Tim Kievits, Chief Executive Officer, PamGene International B.V.
Telephone: +31 73 615 8080, Email:
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www.pamgene.com
About KIT
KIT Biomedical Research (Business Unit of KIT, Royal Tropical Institute) is based in Amsterdam and is one of the world-leading players in the field of essential diagnostics for tropical infectious diseases.
Paul Klatser, Head of KIT Biomedical Research
Telephone: +31 20 5665440, Email:
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http://www.kit.nl/biomedical_research
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