Singulex Receives European Patent Expanding Use of Biomarkers Troponin I and T to Detect Cardiac Health Status With High-Sensitivity Methods
Date: 5.11.2015
ALAMEDA, Calif., Nov. 5, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Singulex, Inc., the developer of Single Molecule Counting technology for use in both medical practice diagnostics and scientific research, has received from the European Patent Office (EPO) a key patent (EP2002260) for use of the biomarkers troponin I and T to detect cardiac damage in humans using any high-sensitivity method. The new patent complements four previous cardiac troponin patents granted to Singulex by the EPO and US Patent and Trademark Office that include claims for determining cardiovascular health status in humans with high-sensitivity assays.
"The granting of this European patent recognizes the significant scientific discoveries made by Singulex about the role of troponin as a marker of cardiovascular health, an area to which we are deeply committed. We look forward to applying our expanding intellectual property, via our Single Molecule Counting technology, to enable more precision in determining the heart health of patients, even if they have not had apparent heart attacks. Such information should help physicians in the proactive management of their patients' health," said Guido Baechler, President and Chief Executive Officer of Singulex.
Singulex was the first to discover that very low levels of the proteins troponin I or troponin T are detectable in the blood of healthy patients, using the company's high-sensitivity Single Molecule Counting technology, and has demonstrated in numerous peer-reviewed publications that measuring such low levels is clinically meaningful, can help determine patients' heart health status and aid in managing their risk for future cardiovascular-related disease or death.
When heart muscle is damaged, such as during a heart attack, significant levels of troponin leak into the blood stream. Existing troponin-based blood tests are used routinely in clinical practice to determine if patients have suffered a heart attack, but are not able to measure low troponin levels in patients without substantial heart muscle damage. Singulex's patents cover high sensitivity assays that measure these low troponin levels.
Singulex intends to include cardiac health diagnostics that measure both low- and high-levels of troponin in its European launch of the Sgx Clarity TM System, a high sensitivity immunoassay diagnostic platform, planned for 2016. Through pioneering research and development, Singulex has steadily added new knowledge about the significance of using troponin to gauge cardiovascular health, and received the patents EP2386858, US7838250, US8343728 and US8535895, since 2010.
The estimated global market for in vitro diagnostic tests for cardiac biomarkers was nearly $4 billion in 2013, with an anticipated growth to $7.2 billion by 2018. The World Health Organization estimates that cardiovascular diseases, including those of the blood vessels supplying the heart muscle and the brain, are the leading cause of death globally, killing about 17.5 million people in 2012, including an estimated 7.4 million due to coronary heart disease.
For more information about peer-reviewed scientific journal articles and presentations, visit http://www.singulex.com/scientific-journals-publications .
About Singulex, Inc.
Singulex is the developer of Single Molecule Counting technology for clinical diagnostics and scientific discovery. Singulex's proprietary SMC TM technology enables physicians and scientists to detect biomarkers of disease that were previously undetectable. Powered by SMC technology, Singulex's ultrasensitive lab testing services are transforming patient care from reactive disease treatment to proactive health management.
The Singulex Clinical Lab Testing Services consist of a CLIA-licensed and CAP-accredited laboratory that currently provides a comprehensive menu of advanced cardiovascular disease testing utilizing SMC technology. Singulex is currently developing the Sgx Clarity(TM) System, a fully-automated in vitro diagnostics system that will bring the benefits of SMC technology to hospital and reference labs worldwide. For more information, please visit www.singulex.com.
Media Contact:
Denise Powell, Red House Consulting, phone: 510 703 9491, email: denise@redhousecomms.com
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Source: Singulex via GlobeNewswire
