Nutra Pharma Corp., a biotechnology company that is developing drugs for HIV and Multiple Sclerosis (MS), expanded its licensing agreement with NanoLogix, Inc., to include intellectual property for the use of testing the environment for NonTuberculous Mycobacterium (NTM).
NonTuberculous Mycobacterium, also known as atypical Tuberculosis (Atypical TB) or Mycobacterium other than Tuberculosis (MOTT), is a bacteria that is found in water, including hot tubs and showers, some domestic and wild animals, and soil. One of the most common forms of NTM infections found in humans is Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC). This is a primary cause of respiratory disease in humans and is a leading cause of death in HIV/AIDS patients.
"NTM infections are becoming a major concern for hospitals and medical clinics around the world," said Rik J. Deitsch, chairman and CEO, Nutra Pharma Corporation. "Combining our newly licensed intellectual property with our current test kit technology will allow our subsidiary, Designer Diagnostics, to attempt to successfully launch a cost-effective solution to help identify the environmental sources of NTM infections," he added.
"Expanding this licensing agreement to include environmental testing is a natural progression of our relationship with Nutra Pharma and our belief in its ability to successfully bring these kits to market," commented Bret Barnhizer, president and CEO, NanoLogix, Inc. "In addition to helping detect NTM in patients, Nutra Pharma will now be able to test for NTM in the environment to help prevent others from becoming infected," he concluded.
Nutra Pharma's wholly-owned medical devices subsidiary, Designer Diagnostics, is currently planning to undergo third party validation for its NTM diagnostic test kits at leading Tuberculosis research institute, National Jewish Medical and Research Center, in Denver, Colorado. The Company plans to apply for FDA approval upon successful completion of this clinical trial.
Recently, distinguished NTM research scientist, Dr. Rahul Narang, used the Designer Diagnostics test kits to test soil and water samples collected from the environment of patients with NTM infections. This was the first time the technique was used in India and the findings were presented in November at the 38th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Cape Town, South Africa.
Nutra Pharma Corp. is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the acquisition, licensing and commercialisation of pharmaceutical products and technologies for the management of neurological disorders, cancer, autoimmune and infectious diseases. Nutra Pharma Corp. through its subsidiaries carries out basic drug discovery research and clinical development and also seeks strategic licensing partnerships to reduce the risks associated with the drug development process.