SYN X acquires rights to heart failure marker for near patient testing

Toronto, ON Aug 1, 2003 Roche Diagnostics and SYN X Pharma have announced that SYN X has been granted a non-exclusive worldwide license in the field of point-of-care diagnostics under patent rights of Roche Diagnostics relating to the development, manufacturing and marketing of immunoassays for point-of-care diagnostics that detect the congestive heart failure (CHF) marker NT-proBNP (N-terminal pro-hormone brain natriuretic peptide).

SYN X Pharma simultaneously granted a non-exclusive worldwide license to Roche Diagnostics under patent rights on improvement of SYN X relating to the development, manufacturing and marketing of immunoassays that detect the congestive heart failure (CHF) marker NT-proBNP.

“The cross-licensing agreement between SYN X and Roche Diagnostics is another important step on our way to set up a new gold standard for congestive heart failure testing. Studies show that therapy monitoring with NT-proBNP can reduce cardiovascular events and mortality considerably”, says Heino von Prondzynski, head of Roche Diagnostics and a member of Roche’s corporate executive committee.

SYN X’s soon-to-be-launched rapid-format test for CHF, which is says will be one of only two point-of-care products on the world market, combines two biomarkers, Cardiac Troponin I and NT-proBNP. It says the new Nexus Dx CHF product will offer substantial improvements, including stability at room temperature, and quicker results, and will enable health professionals to provide an enhanced level of care.

The CHF test is part of a pipeline of Nexus Dx products being developed by SYN X, which includes point-of-care diagnostics for traumatic brain injury, type 1 diabetes and insulin resistance. SYN X has already achieved licensing agreements with Genzyme Corporation for its test for stroke and with Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics (a Johnson & Johnson company) for its test for Alzheimer’s disease.