Amorfix to collaborate with world leader in prion diagnostic research
TSX: AMF
TORONTO, May 1, 2012 /CNW/ - Amorfix Life Sciences Ltd. announced today that the Company has established a collaboration with Dr. Detlev Riesner, a world leader in prion diagnostics, using Amorfix's proprietary prion antibody in a promising new blood test for animal prion infection.
The scientific group of Dr. Detlev Riesner of the Heinrich-Heine-University in Düsseldorf Germany have just published in PLoS ONE a prototype assay sensitive to the extremely low concentrations of infectious prions in the blood of sheep. The Company will supply its prion-specific monoclonal antibody to further enhance the sensitivity and specificity of Dr. Riesner's assay. Amorfix's antibody was generated from its proprietary ProMISTM discovery technology which is able to predict regions of proteins that are exposed when they are misfolded in disease but not in healthy states. Amorfix will retain rights to the prion specific antibody through future developments in blood testing for human and animal prion diseases, such as sheep scrapie and bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE).
Amorfix's President and Chief Executive Officer Dr. Robert Gundel said, "We are delighted to collaborate with Dr. Riesner at a time when the world is reminded of the importance of this work to public health and safety by the recent discovery of BSE in California. This collaboration allows Amorfix to remain in this important area of research with potential great commercial value in a way that does not distract from our central focus on the generation of new diagnostics and therapeutics for cancer and neurodegenerative diseases."
About Prion Disease
Prion diseases are agriculturally and medically important diseases caused by the propagated protein misfolding of prion protein, a form of infectivity completely different from conventional bacteria and viruses. Animal diseases include bovine spongiform encephalopathy (BSE, also known as "mad cow disease"), sheep scrapie, and chronic wasting disease in deer and elk. Human prion diseases include Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease and its variant from, caused by infection with BSE prions.
About Amorfix
Amorfix Life Sciences Ltd. (TSX:AMF) is an early-stage product development company developing therapeutic antibodies and diagnostics targeting misfolded protein diseases. Amorfix utilizes its computational discovery platform, ProMIS™, to predict novel Disease Specific Epitopes (DSEs) on the molecular surface of misfolded proteins. Using this technology, Amorfix is developing novel antibody therapeutics and companion diagnostics for cancer and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In addition, Amorfix has developed two proprietary technologies to specifically identify very low levels of misfolded proteins in a biological sample: Epitope Protection™ and AMFIA™, an ultra-sensitive dual-bead immunoassay. Use of these technologies has generated a cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) screening test for Alzheimer's disease (AD), and an ultrasensitive method for detecting the hallmark of AD, aggregated beta-Amyloid, in brain tissue, CSF and blood from animal models of AD. For more information about Amorfix, visit www.amorfix.com.
The TSX has not reviewed and does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release. This information release may contain certain forward-looking information. Such information involves known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those implied by statements herein, and therefore these statements should not be read as guarantees of future performance or results. All forward-looking statements are based on the Company's current beliefs as well as assumptions made by and information currently available to it as well as other factors. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. Due to risks and uncertainties, including the risks and uncertainties identified by the Company in its public securities filings, actual events may differ materially from current expectations. The Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, unless required by law.
ProMIS™, Epitope Protection™ and AMFIA™ are trademarks of Amorfix Life Sciences Ltd.
For further information:
Dr. Robert Gundel
President and Chief Executive Officer
Amorfix Life Sciences Ltd.
Tel: (416) 847-6957
Fax: (416) 847-6899
[email protected]
Janet Clennett
Acting Chief Financial Officer
Amorfix Life Sciences Ltd.
Tel: (416) 847-6926
Fax: (416) 847-6899
[email protected]
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