(Quick, easy, SARS tests are on the way) Discovery of SARS Antigenic Peptide

Businesswire ^ | 6-15-03

[Logical Extinction]

    ROCKVILLE, Md.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 16, 2003--Today, Vaxim, Inc., a Rockville Maryland based biopharmaceutical company, announced that it has successfully identified and synthesized a peptide from SARS viral proteins, named V-S26, which is confirmed to bind specifically with serum antibody from SARS recovered patients.

    With the focus of vast amount of resources of medical and biological institutes, the immediate need of effective SARS detection, treatment and prevention solutions remain pressing concerns that have not been answered by traditional techniques. Vaxim predicts that the company's novel approach by the quick identification of peptide that interacts with antibody specific to SARS viral proteins, will greatly shorten the process of developing effective diagnostic, vaccine and therapeutic products for the SARS.

    Vaxim has further successfully integrated V-S26 with the company's proprietary carrier platforms in developing the first SARS point-of-care test kit, named V-ST11, which is cost effective to produce and takes only 10 to 15 minutes to perform the required test. In contrary to existing testing methods employing traditional Lab test technologies like ELISA, Immunoflorescence assays, Cell Culture, and RT-PCR which takes more than 2 hours, V-ST11 test requires much less time and has the major advantage of being safe by using synthetic peptides for capturing SARS antibodies instead of requiring the use of SARS proteins or virus which can be highly contagious. The use of V-ST11 also does not require Lab environment, equipment and specially trained personnel.    

[Logical Extinction]

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Thank you America

Next step: Development of peptide fusion inhibitors

[Damocles]

God bless the free market and the U.S.A.

When we set our minds to it we can do anything. The speed of this is amazing...

[AmericanInTokyo]

They could very well be a foreign firm (or consortium including foreign interests).

[Cicero]

When I do a google search for Vaxim I come up with a Japanese environmental science company. But www.vaxim.com takes you to this Rockville company. There's nothing about ownership on the website, but here's the company statement:

"Vaxim, Inc. is an emerging biotechnology company focused on the innovative technologies for delivery of gene, protein, peptide and small drug, today and into future. Vaxim is committed to the discovery of novel solutions and to serving as the leader in the effort to treat infectious diseases and cancers."

[per loin]

Seems like we have seen the announcement of quite a few new tests, but we still see patients classified as supect or probable.

[dc-zoo]

I'm sure they'll cash in with this test kit. Its a shame that so many suspected sars case individuals in china and taiwan may have been cremated without ever having been tested. Many more who may have sars and die even before antibodies are detectable. There is still need of an early test for sars which this product does not appear to be.

[EternalHope]

Seems like we have seen the announcement of quite a few new tests, but we still see patients classified as supect or probable.

Yep.

The problem with ALL antibody based tests so far has been the low number of antibodies to work with in the early stages of the disease. For this test to be the breakthrough we are hoping for, it must be EXTREMELY sensitive or it will have a high false negative rate.

Although this test has the appeal of simplicity (which is very important), I see nothing to indicate it will be sensitive enough to be useful early in the course of the disease. Hope I'm wrong.

Although I am skeptical, it seems significant enough to ping the usual suspects. My list is not as good as some. My apologies if I left someone out.

[TaxRelief]

...identified and synthesized a peptide from SARS viral proteins, named V-S26, which is confirmed to bind specifically with serum antibody from SARS recovered patients.

The so-called "super spreaders" didn't produce antibodies did they?

The danger of rapid tests is that there is too much reliance on them. Rapid-strep test is a great example: if the test is positive and the patient can start treatment right away, that's great. But a negative test does not mean "no strep" and a swab may still may need to be sent out for culturing.

[Betty Jo]

?

[aristeides]

Rockville. Lots of biomedical research outfits on the Rte. 270 corridor.

[vetvetdoug]

This virology is all very interesting but I wish someone would develop a test to detect interested and willing females. That would be a stock to own.

[tallhappy]

Next step: Development of peptide fusion inhibitors

If one wants to waste one's time on overhyped methods that don't work medically -- but bring in plenty of corporate welfare for scam artists pushing it.

[AmericanInTokyo]

good groundwork. I'll now check google.co.jp and yahoo.co.jp, which will both search this firm primarily under Japanese domain addresses.

[Logical Extinction]

In many ways I agree with your very pessimistic evaluation of the role fusion inhibitors have played in healing.

However the science is sound. We know that like a lock needing two separate keys, once both sites on gp120 are bound by CD4 and one of the coreceptors, gp120 flips back out of the way, exposing the virus' previously hidden harpoon molecule, gp41. gp41 is then free to pierce the cell and reel it in close enough to allow virus-cell fusion. And no matter how much corporate greed or our personal faults as scientists and researchers have failed the ill and hurting - it is right that we try to stop this terrible binding (fusion).

I would urge you to moderate your position and look at some of the second generation FI's being developed.

Dr. Harrison of Harvard's Children's Hospital is working very hard to inhibit fusion in the dengue virus.

While it is true that we have all fallen short of the Glory, the fight is noble and most of the warriors are among the finest men and women I have ever known.

[Logical Extinction]

It might be wise to be a bit sceptical of case classification on this disease.

[Logical Extinction]

I agree.

However this tool may allow us to gauge quite a few paramaters.

[Logical Extinction]

[vetvetdoug]

I got a 66' Mustang GT Convertible, just doesn't seem to have the attraction that car does....Good idea though.

[tallhappy]

Sure.

I think simple vaccination would be much more effective for SARS.

Why not address the flu first and foremost using FI? By far more is known about the fusion mechanism for that virus and it is a disease people get all the time.

[Logical Extinction]

There is no question that a vaccine would be the ideal solution.

Until that time, however, we need agents that will mitigate the course of this disease in the more severely affected.

As to influenza:

Amantadine and rimantadine interfere with the fusion function of hemagglutinin, (a necessary step during viral penetration of host cells).

When used to treat active influenza A disease, amantadine or
rimantadine will shorten the clinical course.