|
| [November 14, 2012] |
 |
Corgenix and Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Consortium Release New Findings from Sierra Leone Lassa Virus Program
ATLANTA & DENVER --(Business Wire)--
Corgenix Medical Corporation (OTC BB: CONX.OB), a worldwide developer
and marketer of diagnostic test kits and the Viral Hemorrhagic Fever
Consortium (VHFC) released new scientific data resulting from the
consortium's ongoing studies at the Kenema Government Hospital in
Kenema, Sierra Leone.
The results, presented this week at the 61st Annual Meeting of The
American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH) held in
Atlanta, demonstrated that ELISA diagnostics tests are capable of
diagnosing Lassa Fever viruses.
The poster abstract Fevers of unknown origin in a cohort of patients
presenting to Kenema Government Hospital, Sierra Leone, suspected of
Lassa fever infection was presented by lead author and Corgenix
Medical Program Director of Infectious Diseases Matt Boisen. The
abstract demonstrated that Lassa fever (LF) assays, such as those being
developed by the consortium, can help distinguish patients with LF from
those with other illnesses. The LF assay used in the abstract provided
the only clear method of differentiating LF patients from those with
non-Lassa fevers of unknown origin (FUO).
The second abstract, Demographic and clinical risk factors for Lassa
fever in Sierra Leone, found that patients who tested positive for
the Lassa Virus antigen using the consortium's LF assay were more likely
to have exhibited the most common LF symptoms compared to patients with
other diseases.
"This research provides the first detailed examination of Lassa fever
epidemiology in post-conflict Sierra Leone. Through the work of the
VHFC, we also find that the availability of good diagnostics and
clinical treatment can transform hospitals into sentinel sites,
generating samples that can iluminate the spectrum of infectious
diseases that continue to claim millions of lives each year across
Africa," said Robert F. Garry, Ph.D., principal investigator for the
VHFC.
"The results released this week at the ASTMH meeting demonstrate the
significant progress made over the past few years by consortium
scientists in expanding the knowledge base of viral hemorrhagic fevers,"
said Douglass Simpson, President and CEO of Corgenix. "This is part of
Corgenix' corporate strategy to develop and commercialize testing
platforms to identify these deadly viruses. We are continuing to advance
several novel diagnostic products, which are already being
commercialized in West Africa, and which we expect will be CE Marked and
filed with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to make them
available globally to address important bioterrorism concerns."
Founded in 1903,The American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene is
a worldwide organization of scientists, clinicians and program
professionals whose mission is to promote global health through the
prevention and control of infectious and other diseases that
disproportionately afflict the global poor. Research, health care and
education are the central activities of ASTMH members, whose work
bridges basic laboratory research to international field work and
clinics to countrywide programs. More information is available at www.astmh.org.
About the Viral Hemorrhagic Fever Consortium
The Consortium is a collaboration between Tulane University, Scripps
Research Institute, Broad Institute, Harvard University, University of
California at San Diego, University of Texas Medical Branch, Autoimmune
Technologies LLC, Corgenix Medical Corporation, Kenema Government
Hospital (Sierra Leone), Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital (Nigeria)
and various other partners in West Africa. The Viral Hemorrhagic Fever
Consortium was established as a result of a contract awarded to Tulane
University by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
(NIAID), which is part of the National Institute of Health (NIH). This
contract was awarded for Tulane's ongoing efforts to treat and prevent
Lassa fever, a disease that threatens hundreds of thousands of lives
annually in West Africa and is classified as a potential bioterrorism
threat. More information is available at www.vhfc.org.
About Corgenix Medical Corporation
Corgenix is a leader in the development and manufacturing of
specialized diagnostic kits for immunology disorders, vascular diseases
and bone and joint disorders, including the world's only non-blood-based
test for aspirin effect. Corgenix diagnostic products are commercialized
for use in clinical laboratories throughout the world. The company
currently sells over 50 diagnostic products through a global
distribution network and has significant experience in product
submissions to the FDA and other worldwide regulatory authorities.
Additionally Corgenix contract develops and manufactures products for
key medical and life science companies in state-of-the-art facilities in
Colorado. The company operates under a Quality Management System that is
ISO 13485:2012 certified and compliant with FDA regulations. More
information is available at www.corgenix.com.

[ InfoTech Spotlight's Homepage ]
|