News Releases
New Defense Against Bioterrorism
Bamburgh Marrsh licenses Navy anthrax immunization test
The latest defense against bioterrorism may use your own saliva. A new toothbrush-sized field test developed by the Navy provides a rapid, inexpensive way to determine protection levels against anthrax. A test strip samples saliva and changes color within minutes to indicate immunization status. The rapid, noninvasive test replaces slow, expensive, laboratory tests that require blood.
This new test can rapidly confirm that warfighters are protected against anthrax in the field, and also is a boon to first-responder and health-care personnel as it can quickly be determined who needs treatment.
The invention combines saliva sampling technology with specific reagents for determining anthrax vaccine efficacy. Patented and developed by the Naval Institute for Dental and Biomedical Research (NIDBR), the invention was licensed to Bamburgh Marrsh LLC, headquartered in Vancouver, Washington, for commercialization. TechLink worked with the Naval Medical Research Center to trtansfer the technology to the company. The Navy test reagents are used with Bamburgh Marrsh's proprietary sample collection technology, Saliva Sampler. In addition to the license, a companion Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) that TechLInk helped to broker between Bamburgh Marrsh and the Navy is providing the opportunity to optimize the test and gather additional data for rapid FDA approval.
Commercialization of this invention is important because immunization against anthrax is expensive and requires a series of vaccinations. Current laboratory test of immune response can take one to two days using conventional immunoassays—a dangerously long time to be uncertain about anthrax immunization in an emergency. In the case of a large-scale biowarfare incident, this test would help to quickly identify individuals needing further vaccination without having to access their medical records.
New Rapid Field Test for Tuberculosis
Licensing of Navy technology will improve ability to quickly and accurately detect TB
With TechLink assistance, Bamburgh Marrsh (BAMA) of Vancouver, Washington, has licensed a Navy-developed technology for rapid tuberculosis diagnosis using oral fluids (saliva). BAMA was founded in 2002 specifically for the purpose of pioneering new applications using novel saliva-based diagnostic systems. This is the second license that BAMA has taken out with the Naval Institute of Dental and Biomedical Research (NIDBR), with assistance from TechLink.
BAMA will combine the Navy technology for rapid diagnosis of acute tuberculosis (TB) with patent pending technology, which it has developed. The resulting commercial product will be used to diagnose extra-pulmonary TB and childhood TB.
TechLink presented the licensing opportunity to BAMA, helped the company develop its license application, and assisted NIDBR and the licensee in creating a plan for further technology development prior to commercialization.
The result of BAMA’s technology license and subsequent development efforts will be a tool that allows rapid diagnosis of TB in fi eld settings. Current diagnostic procedure requires sputum to be viewed under a microscope by trained personnel in a laboratory, or chest X-rays involving exposure to radiation. BAMA’s oral fluid-based integrated immunochromatographic test device will provide immediate results (within 20 minutes), with high accuracy.
The commercialization of this diagnostic tool is especially important, since TB is a serious health threat in low income countries where laboratory equipment is scarce or nonexistent. The technology will improve health care for US war fighters in foreign deployments and benefit public health in underdeveloped areas.