Corgenix to develop diagnostic tests for bioterrorism agents under $3.8 million NIH grant

By Angela McDaniels

Seattle, Nov. 9 - Corgenix Medical Corp. said it will develop and manufacture improved diagnostic tests for viral hemorrhagic fevers in a partnership with Tulane University, the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases, Autoimmune Technologies LLC and BioFactura Inc. under a $3.8 million grant awarded by the National Institutes of Health.

Under the grant, Robert Garry of the Tulane University School of Medicine will lead a three-year study designed to develop better tests for viral hemorrhagic fevers, which are caused by arenaviruses known to be potential bioterrorism agents due to their high fatality rate and ease of transmission from person to person.

The goal of this study is to develop effective tests that do not require the use of a biosafety level 4 (the highest level) laboratory, the requirement for tests currently available, thus ensuring increased availability of tests and timely diagnosis, the company said.

Corgenix will work with Tulane and others to develop and manufacture a commercialized product that will enable rapid detection of the disease.

Autoimmune Technologies is a biomedical company based in New Orleans.

BioFactura of Rockville, Md., provides development and manufacturing services to pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies.

Corgenix is based in Denver, where it develops specialized diagnostic kits for immunology disorders, vascular diseases and bone and joint disorders.

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