Innovative Biosensors Inc (IBI), Rockville, Md, and ATCC (American Type Culture Collection), Manassas, Va, have forged a research and development partnership aimed at developing a rapid and portable test to detect Avian (H5N1) influenza virus.
Under the agreement, ATCC will provide IBI with proprietary monoclonal antibodies for H5N1 flu. IBI will use the reagents with their proprietary molecular technology platform to develop a rapid diagnostic test. The product will be commercialized and distributed through the IBI Environmental Group.
The test will depend on ATCC’s technology for generating antibodies against specific antigens.
IBI develops rapid tests to identify harmful pathogens. ATCC is a global nonprofit biological resource center and research organization that acquires, authenticates, preserves, develops, and distributes biological products for academic and industrial research.
Health professionals are concerned that the continued spread of a highly pathogenic avian H5N1 virus across eastern Asia and other countries represents a significant threat to human health. According to Centers for Disease Control, the H5N1 virus has raised concerns about a potential human pandemic because: it is especially virulent, migratory birds spread it, and it can be transmitted from birds to other mammals including humans. The recent cases of human disease form the basis for concerns of a potential pandemic due to sustained human-to-human virus transmission.
