Nach Novovax und HEMISPHERX ist jetzt ACACIA RESEARCH (164630) mit der Angst vor Vogelgrippe durchgestartet. Ist hoffentlich erst der Anfang....
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 26, 2005--Acacia Research Corporation (Nasdaq:CBMX)(Nasdaq:ACTG) announced today that its CombiMatrix Group has launched a new comprehensive influenza DNA microarray as well as services for the typing of influenza strains. CombiMatrix's Influenza Microarray is now a member of the CatalogArray(TM) product line and can detect and accurately type flu strains using a protocol that requires less than four hours start to finish. This new microarray can identify H5N1 bird flu as well as all other strains of Influenza A. It can also provide information on mutations and novel strains of flu not yet seen. It is designed to work on samples from humans as well as from birds, pigs, horses, dogs, and various other animals. Strains of Influenza A include H5N1 bird flu, which so far is resulting in 50% mortality rate among people who are infected; the 1918 strain, which killed an estimated 50 million people; the 1957 "Asian" flu and the 1968 "Hong Kong" Flu, which both caused pandemics; the 1976 "Swine" flu; and the current dog flu. The Influenza Microarray provides very-high-resolution genotype information on any given flu strain as well as information on novel strains of flu produced by rapid mutation or recombination between multiple strains of flu.
This system is available to the flu researcher as a tool or as a service from CombiMatrix. This system is also being developed as a field-deployable biodetector using electrochemical techniques for analysis. This array can be employed as an adjunct to existing technology, to type difficult or ambiguous samples of flu, or to study genetic drift in a flu virus as it moves through a population. Knowledge of the exact strain, origin of the strain, and probable characteristics of the virus are critical for disease surveillance and limiting the spread of the disease.
The current, major public health concern is the avian H5N1 virus, which has potential for further recombination with common human strains (such as H3N2) or other non-human strains common in avian populations (H7 and H9 strains). The current strain, which was initially found in birds in East Asia, has only infected humans who have been exposed to infected birds. Through the migration of birds, this strain has now been seen in other geographic regions and is expected to reach all continents. Should the virus become transmissible from human to human, it has the potential to cause a world-wide pandemic. In addition, many strains exhibit resistance to drugs that are used to treat influenza, and this array may identify these subtypes. Therefore, identification of the strain and subtype and accurate sequence information could be crucial to treatment of infected individuals as well as develop appropriate vaccines.
"Rapid response and accurate information are the absolute key criteria when dealing with a highly transmissible virus, such as influenza," said Dr. Amit Kumar, President and CEO of CombiMatrix. "CombiMatrix's platform is ideal for the rapid development of new tools to rapidly identify emerging diseases."
ABOUT ACACIA RESEARCH CORPORATION
Acacia Research Corporation comprises two operating groups: Acacia Technologies Group and CombiMatrix Group.
The CombiMatrix group is developing a platform technology to rapidly produce customizable arrays, which are semiconductor-based tools for use in identifying and determining the roles of genes, gene mutations and proteins. The CombiMatrix's group's technology has a wide range of potential applications in the areas of genomics, proteomics, biosensors, drug discovery, drug development, diagnostics, combinatorial chemistry, material sciences and nanotechnology.
The Acacia Technologies group develops, acquires, and licenses patented technologies. Acacia controls 33 patent portfolios, which include over 120 U.S. patents, and certain foreign counterparts, covering technologies used in a wide variety of industries including audio/video enhancement & synchronization, broadcast data retrieval, computer memory cache coherency, credit card fraud protection, database management, data encryption & product activation, digital media transmission (DMT(R)), digital video production, dynamic manufacturing modeling, enhanced Internet navigation, high resolution optics, image resolution enhancement, interactive data sharing, interactive television, hearing aid ECS, interstitial Internet advertising, laptop docking station connectivity, microprocessor enhancement, multi-dimensional bar codes, network data storage, resource scheduling, rotational video imaging and spreadsheet automation.
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