Simple and cost-efficient molecular products make their way into Latin America. Charlottesville, VA, May 17, 2012 - Phthisis Diagnostics, Inc. is proud to announce the signing of its first distribution agreement for international sales.  Bio Products, Inc. will distribute the company’s Simply Molecular® product line throughout Latin America.

Bio Products, Inc. is a privately held American company established in West Palm Beach, Florida, over two decades ago. The company has built a reputation for representing a large number of prestigious manufacturers and distributors to serve the research, medical, and scientific community throughout Latin America.

Phthisis Diagnostics President and Chief Science Officer Crystal Icenhour, PhD, commented, “We are delighted to welcome Bio Products as our first distributor for international sales. This is an important next step in the development of Phthisis Diagnostics’ sales.  We are currently engaged in negotiations and look forward to announcing additional international distribution agreements soon.”

Phthisis currently offers the E-Sphere® Simple NA Kit for easily and quickly extracting nucleic acids from various types of samples.  Future products will include molecular diagnostics for parasites and fungi, as well as molecular standards for improved laboratory quality control.

Bio Products, Inc. can tailor the ordering process to fit customer needs with standing orders, blanket orders, or reserved stock orders. For more information about Bio Products, Inc., visit www.bioproducts.net.

About Phthisis Diagnostics

Phthisis (TYE-sis) Diagnostics is a rapidly growing biotechnology company developing the Simply Molecular^® product line of innovative molecular products designed for speed, accuracy, and ease of use. The Simply Molecular^® catalog offers solutions for nucleic acid extraction, molecular diagnostics, and laboratory quality control.

Phthisis Diagnostics develops enzyme-based extraction kits for rapid sample preparation prior to PCR applications in laboratories. This optimized workflow minimizes procedural steps, sample transfers, and potential for error.

Phthisis Diagnostics is also developing molecular diagnostic assays using PCR technology to detect intestinal pathogens associated with diarrheal disease, including Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Microsporidia, and others. For more information, visit www.phthisisdiagnostics.com.

 About Molecular Diagnostics 

Molecular diagnostics is defined as the use of DNA, RNA, and proteins to test for specific states of health or disease.  Molecular diagnostic methods have been increasingly used over the past ten years to improve the sensitivity and speed of diagnosis in infectious diseases. Although their routine use has been primarily limited to the detection of pathogens that are difficult to culture in vitro, ‘real-time’ methods, commercial kits, quantification, and automation will increase their use. Molecular diagnostic methods are now widely used for epidemiological fingerprinting of isolates of public health importance and increasingly being used by clinical laboratories to diagnose genetic and infectious disease.

  Contact : 

      Dory Hulse, Media Relations

          434-964-1037 or 434-242-1333 (mobile)

        Dory1333@embarqmail.com

E-Sphere® Simple NA Kit raises the bar for simple nucleic acid extraction.

(Charlottesville, VA, May 9, 2012)

Phthisis Diagnostics, a rapidly growing biotechnology company developing a range of innovative molecular diagnostics technologies, announces the introduction of the E-Sphere® Simple NA Kit. The E-Sphere® Simple NA Kit is the first total nucleic acid extraction product in Phthisis Diagnostics’ Simply Molecular® product line.

Laboratories have expressed their need for a faster, simpler method to purify DNA/RNA from difficult sample types prior to PCR amplification and analysis. This new kit answers the market need for speed among manual extraction methods and provides the added benefits of accuracy, improved cost effectiveness, reduced risk of sample contamination, and greater safety for lab technicians. The process requires only standard clinical laboratory equipment.

The novel E-Sphere® method allows manual DNA/RNA extraction from 12 samples in less than 30 minutes total time – from sample to PCR. This streamlined process includes just 4 steps and minimizes contamination risk with only 1 to 2 sample transfers. Samples can be quickly processed within a biological safety cabinet.

“This new kit provides significant time savings to clinical laboratories performing PCR analysis,” explains Crystal Icenhour, Ph.D., President and Chief Science Officer at Phthisis Diagnostics. “We have developed the fastest and easiest manual process yet for DNA/RNA extraction from difficult sample types. The speed of our entire process is comparable to the preparation time needed for many automated extraction systems. We have made the process very easy and reliable by removing the complexity seen with older methods. We are excited to introduce this product because it will lead to better and more efficient patient diagnosis.”

Advanced technology in the kit includes the high performance E-Sphere® Enzyme, a thermostable reagent that digests the sample at 75°C during a 15 minute incubation. A further innovation is the proprietary E-Sphere® Clean-up Column which purifies the DNA/RNA for downstream analysis.

Phthisis Diagnostics invites interested laboratories to inquire about special evaluation pricing on this innovative kit. Phthisis will be presenting this new kit at the 2012 APHL Annual Meeting (booth #210) in Seattle in May 2012.

The E-Sphere® Simple NA Kit is developed and manufactured in the USA to ISO 9001 & ISO 13485 standards in a QSR & cGMP compliant facility, and is designated as a general purpose reagent.

About Phthisis Diagnostics

Phthisis (TYE-sis) Diagnostics is a rapidly growing biotechnology company developing the Simply Molecular® product line, innovative molecular products designed for speed, accuracy, and ease of use. The Simply Molecular® catalog offers solutions for nucleic acid extraction, molecular diagnostics, and laboratory quality control.

Phthisis Diagnostics develops enzyme-based extraction kits for rapid sample preparation prior to PCR applications in laboratories. This optimized workflow minimizes procedural steps, sample transfers, and potential for error.

Phthisis Diagnostics is also developing molecular diagnostic assays using PCR technology to detect intestinal pathogens associated with diarrheal disease, including Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Microsporidia, and others. For more information, visit www.phthisisdiagnostics.com.

About Crystal Icenhour, PhD

In 2006, Crystal Icenhour, PhD, became President and Director of Research for Phthisis Diagnostics, located in Charlottesville, VA. She is also an adjunct assistant professor at Duke University Medical Center’s Division of Infectious Diseases in their Department of Medicine. She has demonstrated business leadership in addition to her scientific capabilities and has expressed a goal of “bridging the translational gap between these two worlds.”

She has authored seven patents, has authored and co-authored 13 research articles and theses, and has been a prolific speaker and presenter at scientific conferences. She has served on review panels for the National Science Foundation and Environmental Protection Agency Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants. Dr. Icenhour currently serves on the board of the Virginia Biotechnology Association and on the editorial board for the Journal of Microbiological Methods. She is a member of the Charlottesville Business Innovation Council, Sigma Xi, Medical Mycology Society of the Americas, National Postdoctoral Association, and the American Society for Microbiology. In March 2012, Dr. Icenhour received the Ewing Marion Kauffman Foundation’s Outstanding Postdoctoral Entrepreneur Award.

About Molecular Diagnostics

Molecular diagnostics is defined as the use of DNA, RNA, and proteins to test for specific states of health or disease. Molecular diagnostic methods have been increasingly used over the past ten years to improve the sensitivity and speed of diagnosis in infectious diseases. Although their routine use has been primarily limited to the detection of pathogens that are difficult to culture in vitro, ‘real-time’ methods, commercial kits, quantification, and automation will increase their use. Molecular diagnostic methods are now widely used for epidemiological fingerprinting of isolates of public health importance and increasingly being used by clinical laboratories to diagnose genetic and infectious disease.

Contact:

Dory Hulse, Media Relations

434-964-1037 or 434-242-1333 (mobile)

Dory1333@embarqmail.com

Phthisis Diagnostics of Charlottesville, VA has recruited two new members to its management team.   Betty Polk joins the company as Business Development and Global Sales Director and Robert Owen as Controller.  According to company President and Chief Science Officer Crystal Icenhour, PhD, “Phthisis is excited to welcome Betty and Robert to its team!  Betty brings a wealth of clinical laboratory and diagnostic sales experience.  And Robert’s business and financial background strengthens our corporate structure.”

Betty Polk, M (ASCP), RM (NRCM) brings more than 40 years of experience in microbiology and biotechnology to her new position.  Well respected in the industry, she has supervised hospital labs, owned her own independent reference lab, and managed national sales for several companies. Her niche has become combining science with sales, a challenge she enjoys (“The joy is in the hunt”), especially when the company is young and developing and she has the opportunity to be creative.  She has now worked with four start-up companies, including one where she played a key role in developing sales revenues from zero to a million dollars per week over a seven-year period.

Ms. Polk’s experience has included positions with Gibco Diagnostics; Sigma Chemical Co., Cell Culture Division; TechLab, Inc.; Gen-Probe/Prodesse, Inc.; and bioMerieux.  She holds a B.A. in Microbiology from the University of South Florida and is a Registered Microbiologist with the American Society for Microbiology’s National Registry of Certified Microbiologists and a Technologist in Microbiology with the American Society for Clinical Pathology.

As the company’s new Controller, Robert Owen, CPA, looks forward to leveraging his expertise to impact its development:  “I love to feel that strong, direct connection between my work and the company’s growth.”  Mr. Owen, who has broad experience in public accounting, also has developed special expertise in biotechnology grant accounting.  He sees his abilities in budgeting and grant accounting as key skills that will play an important role in the company’s further development.

As a Controller, Mr. Owen followed the development of a new anti-depressant drug (Viibryd®) through various company ownerships to the drug’s FDA approval in 2011.  Another drug being developed as a vasodilator for use in cardiac stress testing (Stedivaze) was in Phase III clinical trials.  He has also been Controller at PGxHealth, LLC, a division of Clinical Data, Inc. (NASDAQ-CLDA) and at Adenosine Therapuetics, LLC until it was acquired by PGxHealth; Trovis Pharmaceuticals; and Dogwood Pharmaceuticals.  He is a Certified Public Accountant and member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.  He holds a B.S. degree from Concord University in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting.

About Phthisis Diagnostics

Phthisis (TYE-sis) Diagnostics is a rapidly growing biotechnology company developing the Simply Molecular® product catalog, a range of innovative molecular products designed for speed, accuracy, and ease of use.  The Simply Molecular® catalog offers solutions for nucleic acid extraction, molecular diagnostics, and laboratory quality control.

Phthisis Diagnostics develops enzyme-based extraction kits for rapid sample preparation prior to PCR applications in laboratories.  The first product in this line will drastically reduce the time required to extract nucleic acids from a variety of clinical, research, and environmental samples.  This optimized workflow minimizes procedural steps, sample transfers, and potential for error.

Phthisis Diagnostics is also developing molecular diagnostic assays using PCR technology to detect infectious diseases, including Cryptosporidium, Giardia, Microsporidia and others.

For more information, please visit www.phthisisdiagnostics.com.

“Just what the sector’s long-term impact on Charlottesville will be isn’t clear. The high-risk industry is defined by change. But with about 20 percent of the state’s biotech companies located here, a steady supply of high-quality concepts from UVA, and the potential for start-up capital from big donors, biotechnology is already shaping the city’s present.” Read More…

“9 Be sure to take proper precautions when it comes to norovirus.

Winter is the time of year to be most concerned about norovirus outbreaks. It’s also important to realize it affects people of all ages, is especially common to closed or semi-closed communities (i.e. hospitals, long-term care facilities, cruise ships), andspreads very rapidly either by person-to-person transmission or contaminated food.

“It’s really important to understand that if a patient is suspected of having norovirus, that patient should be placed in contact precautions immediately, and preferably, when possible, in a single-occupancy room,” Dr. Gupta says. “If a healthcare provider becomes ill with sudden nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea, that’s consistent with possible norovirus. They should stay home for a minimum of 48 hours after symptom resolution before coming back to work.” Read More…

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“We have shown that similar to apes, infected humans shed a detectable amount of P. falciparum in their feces, which correlates with results obtained by PCR. Southern blotting slightly enhanced the sensitivity of the PCR, but visual inspection of gel-resolved PCR products from feces was nearly equally sufficient. We conclude that feces are as suitable as blood for malaria diagnostics for humans.

Although informative in terms of parasite diversity, prevalence of Plasmodium spp. amplified from feces of gorillas and chimpanzees was not determined in blood samples. A cautionary note regarding this issue and other issues has been reported.  Our results show that in humans, P. falciparum efficiently penetrates the feces at levels detectable by PCR. Use of humans as proxies in our study validates previous estimates of malaria infection rates determined from feces of great apes. The diagnostic method we describe is suitable in situations in which feces are easier to obtain than blood and for use with small children.” Read More…

Installing these toilets in your home could give you an early signal on cancer and other disease.  The NetFlix model is brought up, it could be as easy as mailing in your samples and being sent the results.  The whole idea of mailing in stool samples is a bit odd, but could turn out to be a huge step for genetic testing.  Dr. Schadt like many other scientists hopes to gain as much information as possible, both genetic and environmental, to get a better handle on how illness happens.

“Cities could collect samples from airports, train stations, and emergency rooms and “build up a map, sort of like a weather map, that show pathogen flows over time.” Start data mining sewage systems, and you could probably detect the arrival of something like H1N1 early enough to prevent an outbreak, Schadt says. “We are finding viruses specific to the foods you eat, like chicken, tomatoes, peppers, and garlic,” he says. “If we have different sewage substations, we could address the diet compositions of the whole population and correlate it with health.” Read More…