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Boston Biomedica Presents Pathogen Inactivation Data Using Pressure Cycling Technology (PCT) at Blood Safety Conference
PR Newswire - February 26, 1999 14:58
WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass., Feb. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Biomedica, Inc. (Nasdaq: BBII) announced today that early results on its proprietary Pressure Cycling Technology (PCT) show the ability of the PCT process to inactivate pathogens in plasma while preserving the therapeutic properties of important plasma proteins. In data presented at Cambridge Healthtech Institute's Fifth Annual Blood Safety and Screening Conference in McLean, VA, Mark Manak, Ph.D., Sr. Vice President for Research and Development at BBI, illustrated PCT's effectiveness in killing certain bacteria, yeast and viruses, while the activity of coagulation factors, antibodies, enzymes and growth factors was retained.
Inactivation of known and potential pathogens in human plasma is important to ensuring the safety of the plasma supply for transfusion and for plasma- derived products such as Factor VIII and immune globulins. BBI researchers, in collaboration with BMA Laboratories, Inc., Woburn, MA, St. Joseph's Health Center, Toronto, Canada, and the Clinical Chemistry Laboratories at the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, have demonstrated the effectiveness of PCT in killing bacteria such as E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staph. Aureus, yeast such as C. albicans, and viruses such as HIV and herpes simplex, while the activity of Factor VIII and immune globulins is largely retained.
"Although PCT has not yet been demonstrated to effectively inactivate hardy viruses such as parvovirus, and some of the more fragile proteins were denatured in these early experiments, we hope to be able to optimize conditions to balance effective killing of pathogens with retention of therapeutically important plasma factors," Dr. Manak commented. "The first generation of automated prototype PCT instruments has been manufactured at BBI's Source Scientific subsidiary and will be shipped to our researchers and collaborators within the next few weeks. The advantages of these automated instruments over the manual prototypes now in use should allow us to move ahead more quickly."
"These preliminary studies have greatly encouraged us that we may be able to address some important concerns for the safety of plasma and plasma-derived products, and potentially improve the safety of the work environment for people who handle blood samples by providing an instrument that can inactivate pathogens in plasma as samples are prepared for shipment or analysis," added Richard T. Schumacher, President and CEO of BBI. "Our process has the potential to allow rapid, automated pathogen inactivation in the collection container, without potentially toxic additives, and without a requirement for pooling samples or units from different donors."
Boston Biomedica Inc. recently acquired pressure cycling technology (PCT), a proprietary, novel, enabling technology platform with applications to many products and industries from BioSeq, Inc. The technology uses safe, simple- to-use equipment capable of rapidly cycling pressure between relatively low and high levels. This reversibly and repeatedly modulates the solid and liquid phases of solutions and the binding interactions of biomolecules. Pressure has many advantages as a control parameter including being instantaneously and uniformly transmitted through any volume of liquid; its actions are often enhanced by the use of low temperatures. In many cases, PCT functions to modify biomolecules without the addition of any toxic or denaturing reagents. Boston Biomedica has chosen to initially employ PCT in the major areas of (1) pathogen inactivation and (2) cell and tissue disruption and nucleic acid extraction.
Boston Biomedica Inc. is a worldwide manufacturer and provider of proprietary quality control products for use with IVD test kits for the detection, analysis and monitoring of infectious diseases, including AIDS, Hepatitis, Lyme Disease and ToRCH. The Company's products are used by clinical and research laboratories, blood banks, and IVD manufacturers to help ensure the accuracy of infectious disease test results through the routine monitoring of test performance. The Company also manufactures diagnostic test kit components and laboratory instrumentation, provides specialty laboratory testing and contract research services, and has significant R&D investment in PCT and drug discovery.
Statements contained in this news release that state the Company's or management's intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations or predictions of the future are "forward-looking" statements. It is important to note that the Company's actual results could differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those projected include the possibility that due to unforeseen technical, financial and other difficulties BBI BioSeq may not be able to develop its PCT technology into commercially successful products, or such development may take longer than currently expected. There can be no assurances that BBI BioSeq will be successfully integrated into Boston Biomedica's overall operations. Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements is contained from time to time in the Company's SEC filings, including but not limited to the Company's report on Form 10-Q for the period ended June 30, 1998. Copies of this document may be obtained by contacting the Company or the SEC.
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SOURCE Boston Biomedica, Inc.
/CONTACT: Richard T. Schumacher, President & CEO or William R.
Prather, MD, Sr. VP Business Development both of Boston Biomedica Inc.,
508-580-1900/
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