The US patent authorities have approved the issuance of BioPorto’s patent concerning the diagnostic use of the APC-PCI biomarker for selecting patients with severe septicemia for special treatment.
Activated Protein C/Protein C Inhibitor—also known as APC-PCI—is a substance found in the body’s natural defenses against infections. BioPorto markets an ELISA test kit for research use, measuring APC-PCI in blood samples. BioPorto’s initial research studies have given rise to high expectations in terms of using APC-PCI as a biomarker in patients with septicemia (blood poisoning), a complex, dangerous condition with a very high mortality rate. There are more than 2 million cases of severe septicemia a year in the industrialized world.
The medicine Activated Protein C (APC) is now approved for the treatment of severe septicemia. However, APC has only been found to be effective on a small group of septicemia patients and, because the treatment is very expensive and may be associated with serious side effects, hospitals and doctors have been reluctant to use APC.
BioPorto’s APC-PCI test is expected to give doctors a way of selecting the specific patients who are suitable for treatment with APC. Accordingly, far fewer will be affected by serious side effects as a result of unnecessary treatment, and overall costs will be reduced considerably. At the same time, BioPorto anticipates that the improved cost-effectiveness of treatment with APC will make hospitals and doctors more favorably disposed towards using the treatment, thus ensuring that, overall, more patients suffering from severe septicemia will benefit.
Major studies are under way to validate the assay with a view to using it for measuring Protein C activation both in patients with severe septicemia and in patients with thrombotic (blood-clot forming) conditions. The initial results from these studies are expected to be available in 2011.
Further details from:
Thea Olesen, CEO
Phone 45 29 00 00, mail investor@bioporto.com
