Source MDx, a Colorado-based company that holds several health and disease-related patents for molecular diagnostic testing, was recently awarded a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant by the National Institutes of Health. The $100,000 award will fund the development of a molecular diagnostic test that would enable clinicians to gauge the health status of patients with hepatitis C (HCV). The technique involves measuring genetic material from the blood of HCV-infected patients in order to determine their response to treatment. An added benefit to this technique is that the procedure is less invasive than some other methods of measuring the health of HCV patients such as liver biopsy.

“Changes in gene expression in the blood from HCV patients could yield important foundational information for the development of a patient care diagnostic in the area of infectious diseases,” said Lisa Siconolfi, PhD, director of clinical studies at Source MDx. Source MDx currently holds more than 20 patents that similarly utilize “biomarker” analysis expertise used in preclinical and clinical drug development.

Source: Aging & Elder Health Week, February 5, 2006