Madison, Wis. — NeoClone Biotechnology has been awarded $750,000 Phase II funding over the next two years due to successful completion of a Phase I SBIR contract. Funding will allow NeoClone to extend their research into antibody microarray development and additional ovarian cancer markers to aid with earlier ovarian cancer detection.
Funding for the contract comes from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) through the National Cancer Institute.
The Phase II funding validates the company’s novel technology for antibody development and recognizes the successful accomplishment of the Phase I goals, the continued collaboration with the Early Detection Research Network (EDRN) and the high quality of reagents developed in Phase I.
Ovarian cancer is difficult to detect early resulting in many patients being diagnosed in later stages of the disease. With additional funding for research, earlier detection would result in higher success rates in treating patients.
“We are excited that we have been granted phase II funding and look forward to helping with the fight against cancer and finding a cure, said NeoClone’s chief executive officer Deven McGlenn on learning about the recent contract, “Ovarian cancer is hard to detect early – with our research and products we believe this will help with earlier diagnosis.”
NeoClone highlights for coverage include:
- Importance of funding is that it will help with finding a cure for ovarian cancer which is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths among women according to the University of Pennsylvania via Health System. (www.pennhealth.com/obgyn/news/07spr/center.html)
- Phase II funding will accomplish earlier detection of ovarian cancer through NeoClone’s research that will focus on finding a group of markers that will lead to earlier diagnosis that results in more successful treatment.
- According to the National Cancer Institute the estimated number of new cases and deaths as a result of ovarian cancer in the United States in 2007 were:
- New cases: 22,430
- Deaths: 15,280
- The contract was awarded for development of an “Antibody Array for Cancer Detection” and will use NeoClone’s proprietary method of generating monoclonal antibodies to targets proposed by investigators in the Early Detection Research Network (EDRN).
- Funding will specifically allow NeoClone to expand on the work accomplished in Phase I as well as purchase additional equipment and add headcount at their Madison, WI headquarters.
For more information about the Phase II funding or NeoClone visit www.neoclone.com or contact Mike Zwick, (608) 260-8190, mzwick@neoclone.com. To discuss further coverage opportunities contact Jenny Christianson, (608) 576-2403, jennifer@milestonemarketing.biz.
About NeoClone
NeoClone produces high-quality monoclonal antibody products for the biotechnology and research markets and also provides custom contract monoclonal antibodies for companies and individual researchers. NeoClone holds exclusive license to the ABL-MYC retroviral transformation system, a technique that produces monoclonal antibodies — “NeoClone®“-brand or “NeoAb®” antibodies — in an accelerated time and with cost savings. NeoClone provides customers NeoAb antibodies faster and cheaper than monoclonal antibody companies using traditional methods.
