Mines awarded biotechnology patent

Licensed Biotechnology Patent Awarded to Colorado School of Mines

LONGMONT , Colo. , Feb. 7, 2007 – Colorado School of Mines was recently awarded patent 7,166,425, entitled “ Method for Detecting Low Concentrations of a Target Bacterium that Uses Phages to Infect Target Bacterial Cells” by the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

The patent was developed by then Mines graduate students Angelo Madonna and Jon Rees under the direction of Chemistry and Geochemistry Professor Kent J. Voorhees, Ph.D. The patent is part of the first successful transfer from the school to a private biotechnology company, MicroPhage, Inc. of Longmont, Colo.

MicroPhage, Inc licensed the intellectual property area regarding rapid bacteria detection exclusively from the Colorado School of Mines technologies for commercialization in worldwide markets in 2004. The Company's business strategy is to provide innovative diagnostic technology products to the clinical marketplace for rapid identification and antibiotic susceptibility testing of bacteria. One of the first employees of the company is patent author Jon C. Rees, Ph.D.

“It is really exciting to see doctorate work become a company,” said Rees, MicroPhage scientist. “I am encouraged by the fact we can really help people.”

The patent covers the core technology of bacteriophage (or simply, phage) amplification, a means to rapidly detect and identify bacteria. Bacteriophage are virus-like organisms which are harmless to humans, but are deadly to bacteria.  Introduced to a sample thought to contain the bacteria, phage infect and replicate within the bacterial host, producing hundreds to thousands of copies. This increase in bacteriophage can easily be measured using a number of standard laboratory methods.

The ability to rapidly identify infectious agents causing blood borne or respiratory diseases is revolutionary. Today, many antibiotics are prescribed without specifically understanding whether the patient's symptoms are due to a bacteria or a virus, nor if the bacteria would be responsive to this treatment. One of the core attributes of the Company's technology is its ability to rapidly identify bacterial pathogens and characterize their resistance to antibiotics in a single, simple test. 

Existing methods often take two or more days to identify these organisms. MicroPhage's adaptation of Mines' technology has demonstrated the ability to identify these pathogens at clinical concentrations in less than two hours on a simple home pregnancy-like device. Not only would this technology help millions of patients, but would dramatically reduce the many millions of unnecessary prescriptions written for antibiotics.

“This technology is already gaining significant interest in hospital laboratories and we are confident that the management team will drive this company to a leadership position in this industry,” said Scott Gaisford, MicroPhage CEO. “It is a terrific achievement to have this first patent from the Colorado School of Mines issued.”

About Colorado School of Mines

Founded in 1874, Colorado School of Mines was established to serve the needs of the local mining industry. Today, the School has an international reputation for excellence in both engineering education and the applied sciences with special expertise in the development and stewardship of the Earth's resources. For more information about Colorado School of Mines, visit www.mines.edu .

The CSM Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry, under the direction of Professor Kent J. Voorhees, Ph.D., first described the use of bacteriophage for the rapid identification of bacteria by Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption / Ionization, Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS).  The University retains an equity position in the company, in addition to securing royalty payments.

About MicroPhage, Inc.

MicroPhage, Inc. is an early stage medical diagnostics company based in Longmont , Colorado with 12 full-time employees. It is currently developing identification and antibiotic susceptibility tests for Staphylococcus aureus (“Staph”), an important bacterial pathogen which is increasingly becoming resistant to antibiotics. The Company is currently ramping up development and manufacturing efforts to support its first clinical trial in support of these products. 

The company has raised more than $4.6 million in from private investors since its inception. It expects that it will look to raise an additional $3-5 million by mid 2008 to support commercialization and sales efforts for early products. For more information about MicroPhage, visit www.microphage.com .

-MINES-

Contact:
Scott Conlin                                                    
MicroPhage, Inc.                                               
303-339-1422
sconlin@micro-phage.com

Karen Gilbert
303-273-3541
Karen.Gilbert@is.mines.edu