And a bit of news this morning regarding a co-development arrangement with Ischemia Technologies out of Denver.
"Response Biomedical announces co-development agreement with Ischemia Technologies Companies to develop a rapid diagnostic to detect Ischemia
"VANCOUVER, Sept. 7 /CNW/ - Response Biomedical Corp., a leading developer of point-of-care diagnostics, today announced it has signed an agreement with Ischemia Technologies Inc. to co-develop a rapid diagnostic test to detect ischemia, a clinical condition that precedes a heart attack. The point-of-care test will be developed on Response Biomedical's RAMP(TM) rapid diagnostic platform using proprietary antibodies developed by Ischemia Technologies. "As an early indicator, a RAMP ischemia test will complement the current array of RAMP tests which indicate whether someone has already suffered a heart attack," said Humberto Reyes, Chairman of Response Biomedical's Board of Directors. "This test, exclusive to RAMP in a point-of-care format, will further differentiate us from the competition, adding yet another assay to the developing menu of RAMP tests and demonstrating the versatility of the RAMP platform technology."
"We are very enthusiastic about our alliance with Response Biomedical, as we believe it will accelerate the process of getting our Ischemia Test(TM) immunoassay to market and to the patients whose lives depend on it," stated Peter Crosby, president and CEO of Ischemia Technologies. "We are currently working with our physician partners to conduct the clinical studies that will help us learn how best to use this unique new technology in clinical practice and to obtain required regulatory approvals."
"Ischemia is the clinical condition of insufficient oxygen resulting from reduced blood supply, which can lead to cell death. Ischemia causes heart attacks, stroke, and other serious medical conditions, and is the leading cause of illness and death in the world. Cardiac ischemia is often manifested as chest pain preceding a heart attack. It is estimated that the potential market for screening and monitoring cardiac ischemia is in excess of $500 million.
"A rapid blood test to detect ischemia will provide a valuable tool to aid in diagnosing and treating patients with chest pain. Such a test can help physicians rule out heart attack, reducing the time a patient remains hospitalized. It can also help physicians identify ischemic patients before they progress to a heart attack, when medical or surgical treatment can prevent loss of heart muscle. The test would be used in conjunction with one or more cardiac markers for patients with chest pain.
"Response Biomedical is currently developing three RAMP tests for cardiac markers to detect the occurrence of a heart attack--Troponin I, CK-MB and Myoglobin. All three tests are in the final stages of development and are scheduled to launch in the US, Europe and other selected markets in 2001.
"Ischemia Technologies is a privately held company in Denver, CO that develops technologies and products to revolutionize the standard of care for patients with ischemia. The Ischemia Test(TM) immunoassay is the company's second product. The company's ACB Test(TM) has been submitted to the FDA for pre-market clearance. Additional information can be found at www.ischemia.com.
"Response Biomedical develops quantitative diagnostic systems that reduce the cost of healthcare by providing inexpensive, rapid and easy to use tests at the point-of-care. Response Biomedical's patented RAMP(TM) system will deliver highly accurate results in less than 10 minutes, enabling immediate medical decision making in hospitals, clinics, emergency rooms and doctor's offices. On-the-spot testing saves time, money and lives."
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