Originally Published IVD Technology November/December 2005
INDUSTRY NEWS
NotablesThe National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID; Bethesda, MD), a division of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), awarded Nanogen Inc. (San Diego) a $2.5 million grant over the next five years for a research project to develop a fully integrated prototype diagnostic system for clinical labs to identify infectious agents that cause sepsis and community-acquired pneumonia (CAP). The grant will enable Nanogen to develop improved molecular biological methods, miniaturize those methods, and demonstrate the performance of this new molecular diagnostic approach to diagnose sepsis and CAP in a hospital laboratory setting.
Full laboratory workups to specifically determine the cause of sepsis or pneumonia from the large number of possible disease-causing bacterial and viral agents is time-consuming and expensive. In addition, broad-spectrum antibiotics, which may not effectively treat patients, are often administered while awaiting test results. Nanogen will be using its chemistry and multiplex detection technologies and employing the technologies and clinical and microbiological expertise of the Medical College of Wisconsin (Milwaukee). The goal of this partnership is to develop an automated diagnostic system that would be able to rapidly identify a number of the bacteria and viruses that cause sepsis and pneumonia in patients.
Rumors began circulating in September that Bayer AG (Leverkusen, Germany) was considering selling its diagnostics division to finance the acquisition of the over-the-counter business of Boots Group PLC (Nottingham, UK). Such rumors were sparked by reports that Werner Wenning, Bayer's chairman of the board, had suggested selling the diagnostics division if its bid for the Boots OTC unit succeeded. However, in early October, Bayer issued a press release stating that it will no longer take part in the bidding for the Boots OTC business. Bayer officials declined to comment.
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