Commonwealth Biotechnologies Inc and Vigen Inc have filed for patent protection of CBI's proprietary diagnostic platform for detection and quantitation of DNA attributable to any one of the 8 known human herpes viruses. CBI and Vigen formed a joint venture in April 2000 for the express purpose of commercializing high throughput rapid screening assays for the detection of Herpes and AIDS related viruses and test agents which affect virus replication. The patent filing is the direct outcome of the research program conducted at CBI on behalf of Vigen Inc.
Included in the herpes viruses are the well-known simplex viruses, HSV 1 and HSV 2, but also the Varicellovirus (HHV 3), the Epstein Barr virus (EBV; HHV 4), the cytomegalovirus (CMV; HHV 5), HHV 6, HHV 7 (Roseolovirus) and HHV 8 (Rhadinovirus). HHV 4 is associated with infectious mononucleosis and cancer propagation in Burkitt's lymphoma and nasopharygeocarinoma. HHV5 causes infection in the lungs of immune-suppressed patients. HHV 6 is associated with roseola and infantum infections in children and is putatively associated with multiple sclerosis and chronic fatigue syndrome. HHV 7 seems to be co-incident with the occurrence of HHV 6 and HHV 8 is associated with Karposi's sarcoma of AIDs patients.
Through a unique bioinformatics approach, CBI scientists designed and then implemented the assays which afford full coverage of all viruses down to as little as 10 copies of viral DNA in serum, cerebrospinal fluid, or tissue samples. In the time since the assays were brought on-line at CBI, over 250 patient samples have been received from doctors across the United States and CBI is using the assay platform in support of a clinical trial of a new potential anti-herpes virus medication. With virtually no directed marketing to date, non-discounted revenues realized by CBI from the assay platform totaled nearly $150,000 over a 5-month period. Clinical support services compose a fundamental platform for the Company contributing nearly $ 350,000 in revenue for the current year-to-date.