Dade Behring Obtains Rights to Cardiac Markers

An exclusive licensing agreement provides Dade Behring (Deerfield, IL, USA) with the worldwide exclusive rights to the combined use of soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase 1 (sFlt-1) and placental growth factor (PLGF) for the diagnosis of vascular diseases, an invention of Professor Zeiher and his group at the University of Frankfurt (Germany).

The license was granted by the University of Frankfurt and Innovectis (also in Frankfurt), a company that manages technology services for the university. The combination of sFlt-1 and PLGF are important for the prognosis of patients with angina pectoris and following a heart attack.

PLGF is a primary inflammatory instigator of atherosclerotic plaque instability. However, sFlt-1 has been found to capture PLGF, which appears to inhibit this activity. Recent studies by Prof. Zeiher and his group show that the combination of these markers is a powerful independent predictor of adverse outcomes for patients after angina pectoris or heart attack. An immediate and accurate diagnosis of patients is necessary in order to help doctors provide the best treatment.

"As a leader in the cardiac marketplace, we are committed to conducting research and development of new methods that will continue to expand the determining factors of cardiac episodes,” remarked Jim Reid-Anderson, chairman, president, and CEO of Dade Behring.

"This license agreement is an expression of the close connection between basic research in medicine and the development of diagnostic tools in industry,” said Jurgen Bereiter-Hahn, vice president of the University of Frankfurt and chairman of Innovectis.



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