Australian invention commercialised

A Royal North Shore Hospital discovery has been commercialised by US company Beckman Coulter, manufacturer of biomedical testing equipment, through its DSL subsidiary.

Sydney-based Dr Michael J Sinosich invented a way to detect pregnancy associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), a marker of pregnancy wellbeing and fetal abnormality. The test may eventually be used to reassure parents about the health of their unborn child in early pregnancy.

The discovery was so important to the Northern Sydney, Central Coast Area Health Service and Sinosich that they protected it with a patent entitled "PAPP-A, Its Immunodetection and Uses' taken out in the USA, UK and Australia.

Further research has also linked PAPP-A to cardiovascular disease. The PAPP-A test kit is initially being used in research and, after regulatory approval, will be applied for clinical assessment of patients.

BioMed North chief executive, Dr Deborah Kuchler says the successful commercialisation agreement shows the value of the area health service investing in its IP assets and outsourcing its commercial business, to the benefit of the inventor and the hospital.

"Without an office like ours, there would be nowhere for a hospital-based medical researcher to go for financial support, legal guidance and assistance working with pharmaceutical and medical product companies," Kuchler says.

"Inventions such as these are also made possible by donations for research made to the Northern Medical Research Foundation, one of the area health service's support mechanisms for medical research."

28/09/2006