WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass., Feb. 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Biomedica, Inc. (Nasdaq: BBII) today presented new results on the use of its proprietary pressure cycling technology (PCT) for the inactivation of pathogens in human plasma at Cambridge Healthtech Institute's Sixth Annual Blood Safety and Screening Conference in McLean, VA.
Inactivation of known and potential pathogens in human plasma is important to ensuring the safety of the plasma supply for transfusion and for plasma-derived products. BBI researchers and their collaborators, including the National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD, have previously demonstrated the effectiveness of PCT in killing viruses such as HIV and Herpes Simplex, bacteria such as E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus, and yeast such as Candida albicans, while the activities of Factor VIII and other therapeutic proteins were largely retained.
"BBI has successfully shown that PCT can inactivate enveloped viruses such as HIV. The new data show PCT to effectively inactivate non-enveloped viruses such as Parvovirus -- one of the most difficult to kill pathogens that may be present in human plasma," said Dr. Frederick A. Dombrose, Executive Director of the Consortium for Plasma Science. "We are very pleased with the results to date, and look forward to new studies that will be aimed at the optimization of non-enveloped virus inactivation, together with the retention of therapeutically important plasma proteins, such as Factor VIII."
"It is very exciting to have a technology that can potentially play a significant role in the large and important area of blood safety," said Richard T. Schumacher, CEO, Chairman and Founder of Boston Biomedica. "There is much left to be done, but with the experience and capabilities of our scientists and engineers, and the financial and technical support of the Consortium of Plasma Science (as announced on December 20, 1999), we are optimistic that we will be successful in developing a viable process to improve the safety of blood plasma and plasma-derived products."
Boston Biomedica, Inc. is an infectious diseases management company providing products and services for the detection and treatment of infectious diseases such as AIDS, Lyme Disease, and Viral Hepatitis. The Company has four business units: (1) BBI Diagnostics, an ISO 9001 certified manufacturer and seller of quality control and other diagnostic products used to increase the accuracy of in-vitro diagnostic tests, (2) BBI Clinical Laboratories, a leading specialty infectious diseases testing laboratory, (3) BBI Biotech Research Laboratories, providing R&D support for the other BBI business units as well as contract research services for third parties, and (4) BBI Source Scientific, an ISO 9001 certified manufacturer of laboratory and diagnostic instrumentation. In addition, the Company is pursuing research and development programs in the areas of Pressure Cycling Technology (PCT) and drug discovery (through its wholly-owned subsidiary Panacos Pharmaceuticals), with the goal of introducing new solutions for the detection and treatment of infectious diseases.
Statements contained in this news release that state the Company's or management's intentions, hopes, beliefs, expectations or predictions of the future are "forward-looking" statements. It is important to note that the Company's actual results could differ materially from those projected in such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those projected include the possibility that BBI may not be successful in commercializing PCT. Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements is contained from time to time in the Company's SEC filings, including but not limited to the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1998 and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, June 30 and September 30, 1999. Copies of these documents may be obtained by contacting the Company or the SEC.
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SOURCE Boston Biomedica, Inc.
Web site: http: //www.bbii.com
CONTACT: Richard T. Schumacher, CEO and Chairman, Kevin W. Quinlan, President and COO, or William R. Prather, M.D., Sr. VP Finance & Business Dvlp., of Boston Biomedica, Inc., 508-580-1900
