ALAMEDA, Calif., April 30, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Singulex, Inc., the developer and leading provider of Single Molecule Counting technology for clinical diagnostics and scientific discovery, today announced that it has entered into a public-private partnership with the Dutch Technology Foundation (STW) to form the Biomarker Development Center (Biomarker-DC) with the mission of accelerating the development and validation of clinical biomarkers. Led by Professor Rainer Bischoff of the University of Groningen in collaboration with colleagues from the Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen, the Erasmus Medical Center in Rotterdam and the University Medical Center Groningen (UMCG), the Biomarker Development Center expects to begin testing available biomarkers within 2015.
The Biomarker-DC academic partners will utilize Singulex's research use only Erenna® Immunoassay System for the quantification of ultra-low level biomarkers, often circulating at femtogram per milliliter concentrations and impossible to detect with other immunoassay technologies. The clinicians involved in developing these biomarkers will select, co-develop and validate these biomarkers for potential future clinical application.
"This strategic alliance furthers our mission to improve healthcare by applying innovative tools in disease areas that would be better served by more quantitative and more disease-specific diagnostic offerings," said Paul Wheeler, PhD, Vice President of Life Science Sales and Marketing at Singulex. "As a result of this partnership, we look forward to the development and testing of new biomarkers that we will then have the opportunity to offer to a global customer-base in the future."
Funded in part by the STW, in addition to other contributing industry partners, the Biomarker-DC was awarded a grant for the development and validation of candidate biomarkers specifically in type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Each of these major diseases affects a large and growing population globally, imposing considerable economic strain on societies. The Biomarker-DC hopes that biomarker development, through this initiative, will provide valid applications for clinical practice and ultimately offer improved health care quality and cost.
"The Dutch Technology Foundation is focused on bringing together excellent research technology with scientists and clinicians in order to develop important medical applications that may advance patient care and outcomes," said Alain van Gool PhD, Professor of Personalized Healthcare at the Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen. "Through the Singulex alliance and their unique technology for the quantification of ultra-low level protein biomarkers, we hope to translate knowledge of disease mechanisms into important molecular biomarkers that may enable and improve personalized healthcare."
About Singulex, Inc.
Singulex is the developer and leading provider of single molecule counting technology for clinical diagnostics and scientific discovery. Singulex's proprietary SMC™ technology enables physicians and scientists to detect biomarkers of disease that were previously undetectable. Powered by SMC technology, Singulex's ultrasensitive immunoassay solutions and lab testing services are transforming patient care from reactive disease treatment to proactive health management and fueling the discovery and development of new therapeutics.
Singulex provides SMC technology to leading pharmaceutical R&D laboratories, clinical research organizations (CROs) and academic institutions around the world through its Research-Use-Only Erenna® Immunoassay System. The Singulex Clinical Lab Testing Services consist of a CLIA-licensed and CAP-accredited laboratory that currently provides a comprehensive menu of advanced cardiovascular disease testing utilizing SMC technology. Singulex currently is developing the Sgx ClarityTM System, a fully-automated in vitro diagnostics system that will bring the benefits of its SMC technology to hospital and reference labs worldwide. For further information, please visit www.singulex.com.
About The Dutch Technology Foundation
Founded in 1981, the Dutch Technology Foundation (STW) funds excellent utilization-oriented technology research at Dutch Universities and select institutions. Receiving its funding from the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (through the Dutch Organization for Scientific Research), STW aims to foster knowledge transfer between academic research and users in general and the technical sciences industry.
About Public-Private Partnerships
A public–private partnership (PPP) is a government service or private business venture that is funded and operated through a partnership of government and one or more private sector companies. These agreements are sometimes referred to as PPP, P3 or P3.