Haematologic Technologies, Inc. Has Been Awarded A Phase II SBIR Grant To Research And Manufacture Murine Coagulation Proteins And Related Immunoassays For Knock-Out, Transgenic, And Mouse Model Experiments

March 24, 2005: Haematologic Technologies, Inc. (HTI), a manufacturer of blood coagulation proteins and reagents for the RUO market, is pleased to announce the award, by the NIH, of its Phase II SBIR grant application to research and manufacture mouse coagulation proteins, anti-murine antibodies and related immunoassays. The Phase II grant will allow HTI to add to their current line of mouse coagulation factors and antibodies, and use them to create ELISAs to measure murine coagulation factor levels in plasma. These assays and reagents will give researchers experimenting with murine models more tools for their research, and allow for more complicated analytical studies to be done in this field.

Background: The mechanisms that govern blood coagulation and fibrinolysis have been studied extensively by employing a variety of experimental techniques and in-vivo model systems. Recently gene targeting (knock-out mice) and transgenic techniques have been employed to create strains of mice whose phenotypes represent human thrombotic disorders and disease states. In conjunction with this, murine coagulation models are routinely used in the process of new drug development. During the course of developing new pro-coagulant, anti-coagulant and clot dissolving drugs, basic R&D studies as well as safety, efficacy, and pharmacokinetic studies are required. Because both normal and genetically altered mice are available, the murine models are ideal for this application. Based on the fact that murine models are in prevalent use, and there exists a limited number of reagents available to assist the researcher, it is imperative to develop a commercial group of reagents for use in this field of study.

Haematologic Technologies, Inc. will continue its R&D efforts on its murine line by focusing on generating reagents and assays analogous to what is available for human research. For more information, please contact Ryan Dorfman, Ph.D. at rdorfman@haemtech.net or call 802-878-1777 or simply visit Haematologic Technologies on the web at www.haemtech.com.

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Contact: Robert Myers, Director of Business Operations (rmyers@haemtech.net , 802-878-1778)