Research affiliate signs w NASDAQ listed company

Research affiliate signs with NASDAQ listed company

AUT's Biotechnology Research Institute partner Kiwi Ingenuity Limited (Kiwi) yesterday (14 July 2005) signed a comprehensive technology licensing agreement with NASDAQ listed (BLUD) Immucor Inc to use Kiwi’s KODE™ technology platform.

Established in 1982, Immucor is a supplier of reagents and equipment to the blood banking industry, and employs around 500 people world-wide. Immucor is now the North American market leader in terms of sales to the blood bank industry and has a strong market position world-wide.

Kiwi Ingenuity Limited, in association with the AUT Biotechnology Research Institute, has developed a range of KODE™ technology platforms, says Kiwi Ingenuity Limited CEO and AUT Professor Steve Henry.

“KODE™ technology allows for the attachment of molecules on to the outside of cells. In the diagnostic transfusion market the controlled attachment of blood group molecules has resulted in a quality control system for blood grouping.

The ABO group system classifies blood into four types: A, B, AB and O. Currently there is no control system for blood-group typing.

“It is very important that people are given the correct blood group – if they aren’t, they could get very ill and potentially die. The development of KODE™ will give testers the chance to use positive and negative controls during blood group typing. This will make the process of typing blood much safer.”

The licensing agreement with Immucor completes the global licensing of Kiwi’s KODE™ technology for the diagnostic transfusion markets. Australian biopharmaceutical company CSL Limited holds the Australasian licences for KODE™ technologies and has already released the in vitro diagnostic product Securacell® into the Australian market. The CSL Securacell® product is the world's first multi-purpose quality control system for immunohaematology laboratories. Securacell® comes as a kit that is designed to control, standardise and validate all routine immunohaematology tests.

ENDS

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