Panbio moves into DNA diagnostics

Medical diagnostics company Panbio Ltd, which has built its business around traditional microbiology kits, is moving into the fast-growing field of DNA probe-based diagnostics.

The Brisbane company has signed an exclusive global licence for an enabling technology that detects pathogens and infectious diseases from their DNA sequences.

Called Enzyme Linked Amplification and Hybridisation Assay (ELAHA), the technology can detect pathogens at much lower concentration levels than is possible with conventional methods, said Panbio CEO Mel Bridges.

Its new licence will help Panbio design probes in which relatively small pieces of DNA or RNA seek out complimentary DNA/RNA in the patient sample being tested.

Panbio is currently adapting the technology to diagnose the two main types of Herpes virus (Herpes Type 1 and Type 2), and has established a research team to develop a wide range of infectious disease probe-based tests.

A prototype kit has already been achieved and the company expects to have its first commercial kit on the market by early 2003, Bridges said.

It will open fresh markets for the company rather than cannibalise its existing products, he said.

Probe-based diagnostics is claimed to be one of the fastest growing diagnostics segments, with the international market for DNA probe-based assays estimated to be worth more than $US2 billion.

Panbio acquired the ELAHA technology from the Cooperative Research Centre for Diagnostics (CDx) in which it is a commercialising partner. Other partners in the research centre include Queensland University of Technology, CSIRO, La Trobe University, Child Health Research Institute and Queensland Medical Laboratory.

Meanwhile, Panbio is adding muscle to its global marketing program by appointing Nicholas Thliveris as vice-president of strategic marketing. Thliveris has previously headed Australian operations for several overseas life sciences companies.

The appointment will add extensive diagnostics, research and scientific commercial experience to Panbio when at a time it is fast-tracking an expansion into new markets and building export sales.