New Babesia DNA Test to Complement Other Tick-Borne Assays
WEST BRIDGEWATER, Mass., Aug. 31 /PRNewswire/ -- Boston Biomedica, Inc. (Nasdaq: BBII) announced today that BBI Clinical Laboratories (BBICL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of BBI, now offers a new direct blood test for Babesia microti, a tick-borne human pathogen that can cause symptoms resembling Lyme Disease. The test for B. microti DNA uses polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technology, and was developed at BBI Biotech Research Laboratories, (another wholly-owned subsidiary of BBI), in part with funding through an SBIR grant from the National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID).
B. microti is carried by the same tick (Ixodes scapularis or deer tick) that carries the Lyme Disease pathogen, and was first detected in humans on Nantucket Island, MA in the 1960s. Infections have since been seen in temperate climate areas throughout the U.S. Babesiosis is often mild and self-limiting, but can be serious and even fatal in immunocompromised patients. Co-infections with the Lyme Disease organism (Borrelia burgdorferi) and B. microti have been observed.
"We are very pleased to announce the development, validation and offering of this test for babesiosis, because it provides another important tool for the accurate diagnosis of patients who have experienced tick bites," commented Richard C. Tilton, Ph.D., Senior Vice President for Science and Technology at BBI and an internationally recognized expert in tick-borne pathogens. "Because symptoms are usually mild, babesiosis may be under-reported. The availability of a sensitive and specific test for B. microti and greater public awareness of the potential for disease from a tick bite should help physicians and researchers reach a better understanding of both the prevalence and the severity of the infection."
"BBICL's Babesia DNA test was validated in a joint effort between our scientists and an academic research laboratory that specializes in the study of this microorganism," said Dr. Patricia E. Garrett, Senior Vice President at BBI and General Manager of BBICL. "Results on blinded samples agreed 100%. We believe it will both succeed in the marketplace and contribute positively to the diagnostic dilemmas surrounding tick-borne diseases."
In addition to the new Babesia DNA test, BBI Clinical Laboratories offers a comprehensive range of carefully validated tests for tick-borne pathogens, including confirmatory tests for Lyme Disease, and tests for human ehrlichiosis, a third disease carried by deer ticks.
BBI Clinical Laboratories specializes in testing for a broad range of infectious diseases including AIDS, Hepatitis, and tick-borne diseases, utilizing immunology, microbiology, and molecular diagnostic based test formats. Its services are offered to physicians, hospitals, clinics, and other reference laboratories.
Boston Biomedica, Inc. provides products and services for the detection and treatment of infectious diseases (ID) 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 subsidiaries BBI BioSeq and Panacos Pharmaceuticals, respectively, 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 the Babesia DNA test may not become either widely utilized or a commercial success. 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 report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 1999 and on Form 10-Q for the periods ended March 31 and June 30, 2000. Copies of these documents may be obtained by contacting the Company or the SEC.
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SOURCE Boston Biomedica, Inc.
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CONTACT: Richard T. Schumacher, CEO & Chairman, Kevin W. Quinlan, President & COO, or William R. Prather, M.D., Sr. VP Finance & Business Dvlp., of Boston Biomedica, Inc., 508-580-1900
