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IQuum Awarded Contract to Develop Point-of-Care Sepsis Diagnostics Allston, MA, July 7, 2005 -- IQuum, Inc. has been awarded a $2.1 million contract from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) to develop a nucleic acid diagnostic device based on its lab-in-a-tube platform for diagnosing sepsis at the point-of-care. Under this contract, IQuum will adapt its Liat™ Analyzer to the detection of bacteremia in near-patient settings, develop quantitative assays, and conduct clinical studies to validate the system. “The lab-in-a-tube technology is uniquely suited for diagnosing sepsis at the point-of-care,” said Dr. Shuqi Chen, CEO of IQuum. “The rapid test time, full automation, closed sample system design and quantitative detection capabilities of our system will increase the accuracy and appropriateness of treatment early on in the care of vulnerable patients. Indeed, we expect that our Liat bacteremia assay can significantly improve patient outcomes, while reducing overall health care costs.” Bacteremia, or bacteria in the blood stream, results in more than 750,000 cases of severe sepsis annually in the United States. Sepsis is a complex clinical syndrome characterized by hypotension, shock, vascular collapse, multi-organ system failure, and, often results in death. The average cost of treating a patient with severe sepsis exceeds $59,000. Early treatment of bacteremia can significantly lower mortality rates, as well as reduce healthcare cost. At present, there is no rapid and definitive in vitro diagnostic test for the identification of bacterial pathogens in the blood which can provide useful information in a clinically relevant timeframe to guide the therapeutic decision. In cases where bacteremia is suspected, treatment is currently initiated with broad spectrum antibiotics, which often result in adverse drug reactions, allergic reactions, and the development of antibiotic resistance. The Liat Analyzer for sepsis diagnostics is intended to fill this clinical need. Once developed, the system is expected to enable minimally trained healthcare practitioners to quantify bacteremia from whole blood sample within one hour of patient presentation. After the system is validated in clinical studies, IQuum’s bacteremia assay will aid clinicians in selecting more specific anti-microbial drugs to treat their patients, thus increasing the effectiveness of sepsis treatments and reducing the number of potential complications. About IQuum, Inc. IQuum is a leader in developing lab-in-a-tube technology, a novel biological sample testing platform intended to provide revolutionary benefits to a broad cross section of the bioassay market. The Company's proprietary technology will enable the less experienced professional to perform more sophisticated biological sample testing in a less expensive setting with greater speed. The lab-in-a-tube platform is the foundation of next generation tools for clinical diagnostics, biodefense, and industrial testing. Founded in 1998, I Quum is located in the Boston metropolitan area in Massachusetts. For more information, please visit www.IQuum.com.
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