GenTel BioSciences, Inc.: Awarded A $1.2M Federal Grant To Develop Novel Allergy Test

MADISON, WIS. – GenTel BioSciences, Inc. announced today that it has received a two-year, $1.2 million Phase II SBIR grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop a test kit that will be used to aid in the research, rapid diagnosis, and subsequent treatment of respiratory allergies.

“GenTel’s new allergy test will rapidly identify a specific allergic response in a patient using only a few drops of blood,” said Bryce Nelson, Ph.D., GenTel’s Vice President of Research & Development. “Our protein chip uses a new type of test called a multiplex assay to rapidly test a patient’s blood for reactivity to many potential allergens at once.”

The National Center for Health Statistics estimates 50 million Americans suffer from mild to chronic seasonal allergies at an annual health care cost in excess of $18 billion.

“GenTel’s method,” Nelson said, “is a rapid allergy test that will be affordable for most clinical or research settings, easy-to-use, and yield quantifiable results. When finalized, GenTel’s diagnostic method could replace current time-consuming and painful methods.”

GenTel hopes its new allergy test will replace puncture tests, the most common technique for allergy diagnosis in the United States. To perform a puncture test, a physician introduces extracts containing suspected allergens underneath a patient’s skin in multiple punctures. “Puncture tests are uncomfortable, particularly for children and the elderly. In some cases, puncture tests can elicit severe adverse allergic reactions,” noted Dr. Todd Strother, Team Leader at GenTel and Principal Investigator on the project.

Currently alternatives to the puncture test include venous blood draws, which call for patients to provide sizeable amounts of blood and have a slow turnaround time for results. According to Strother, “A small prick of the finger is preferred over puncture tests and venous blood draws. Our technology platform is designed to provide a more comfortable and convenient alternative for diagnosis.”

As part of the project, GenTel hopes to place several beta-testing instruments in doctor’s offices in the second year of the project. The major collaborator on the project is Dr. Robert K. Bush, a professor of medicine at University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Medicine and Public Health. “We are excited to be a part of this NIH-funded project with GenTel BioSciences,” says Dr. Bush. “There is great potential here for a much simpler allergy diagnostic tool that can improve patient care, comfort, and time of diagnosis.”

The SBIR program is a highly competitive federal grant program that supports research by small companies in critical parts of the economy. In 2005, GenTel successfully completed a Phase I SBIR that demonstrated the feasibility of the allergy chip concept. GenTel has been awarded six SBIR awards from the federal government, totaling over $2 million in the last three years. GenTel’s Phase II application was boosted by a $50,000 Phase II Matching Grant from the Wisconsin Department of Commerce.

——————————————— About GenTel BioSciences, Inc.

GenTel BioSciences, Inc. is a leader in protein chip technologies and is known in the life science community for providing innovative life science products and solutions. GenTel’s mission is to deliver new standards in discovery, medical care, and public safety through the application of proprietary miniaturized tests. For more information, visit us at http://www.gentelbio.com