Invitrogen and Biosynth Partner to Launch Rapid Detection Products for MRSA Contamination in Hospitals
Invitrogen (NASDAQ:IVGN), a provider of essential life science technologies for research, production and diagnostics, and Biosynth AG, a manufacturer of specialty chemicals for the life science and pharmaceutical industries, announced the launch of a novel, fluorescence-based culture medium for rapid detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) in hospitals and medical settings. The new BCM® MRSA ELF® culture media will be manufactured and sold by Biosynth under license from Invitrogen’s Molecular Probes business.
BCM MRSA ELF is designed to provide faster test results for active surveillance culturing, the most widely used method in hospitals and clinics to monitor, manage and prevent transmission of MRSA. Current culture methods require 48 hours to yield results. Biosynth’s culture media uses a proprietary enzyme substrate that produces a bright, fluorescent signal at the site of enzymatic activity–a living MRSA colony. With this innovation, positive MRSA colonies can be identified in 8 to 12 hours.
“MRSA is an enormous public threat and can jeopardize the lives of tens of thousands of hospital patients, among others, each year,” said Dr. Urs Spitz, CEO of Biosynth. “This deadly infection has been difficult and expensive to rapidly identify, with traditional culture methods taking two days to yield results. In addition, nucleic acid tests are too expensive to use for routine screening and may result in false positives. We’re pleased to work with Invitrogen to develop rapid, low cost, reliable screening tools such as this media for use in clinical and environmental testing.”
According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), more than 90,000 Americans contract potentially deadly infections from MRSA each year, and more than 18,000 die from such infections. MRSA accounts for more than 50 percent of hospital infections and 63 percent of S. aureus infections in intensive care units. Healthcare costs associated with MRSA are estimated to be $2.5 billion per year. Constant surveillance is the key to controlling spread of infection and reducing costs.
“The launch of this new media for MRSA detection is another example of how we are deploying our proprietary technologies to address threats to public health,” said Kip Miller, Senior Vice President, BioDiscovery at Invitrogen. “We will continue to seek out partnerships, like the one we have with Biosynth, through which we can help power innovation with a direct impact on human health.”
About Invitrogen
Invitrogen Corporation (NASDAQ:IVGN) provides products and services that support academic and government research institutions and pharmaceutical and biotech companies worldwide in their efforts to improve the human condition. The company provides essential life science technologies for disease research, drug discovery, and commercial bioproduction. Invitrogen’s own research and development efforts are focused on breakthrough innovation in all major areas of biological discovery, including functional genomics, proteomics, bioinformatics and cell biology–placing Invitrogen’s products in nearly every major laboratory in the world. Founded in 1987, Invitrogen is headquartered in Carlsbad, California, and conducts business in more than 70 countries around the world. The company is celebrating 20 years of accelerating scientific discovery. Invitrogen globally employs approximately 4,700 scientists and other professionals and had revenues of more than $1.15 billion in 2006. For more information, visit www.invitrogen.com.
About Biosynth AG
At Biosynth we develop, manufacture and distribute chemical reagents and formulations essential to many biological applications including clinical, hygiene, environmental and food safety testing. It is our mission to bridge the gap between the disciplines by using the chemist’s toolbox to address challenges in biology. Besides an offering of more than 3000 bulk and research products (please visit www.Biosynth.com), we also provide many services including custom R&D in chemistry and biology. Biosynth is small private group of companies based in Switzerland, the UK and the US. We pride ourselves on quality products, flexible services, technical competence and our welcoming culture.
Safe Harbor Statement
Certain statements contained in this press release are considered “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, and it is Invitrogen’s intent that such statements be protected by the safe harbor created thereby. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to 1) BCM MRSA ELF is designed to provide faster, more reliable and lower cost test results for active surveillance culturing; 2) This technology achieves reliable results in one-fourth the time (8-12 hours) of traditional culture methods. Potential risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, a) BCM MRSA ELF may or may not provide for more rapid detection of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA); b) The new media for MRSA detection may or may not have a direct impact on public and human health, as well as other risks and uncertainties detailed from time to time in Invitrogen’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings.