SES-BNP

The patent “Immunoassay for quantification of an unstable antigen selected from BNP and ProBNP”, patent no. US 9,034,592 B2, describes a novel method for the detection of BNP and proBNP in plasma samples. SES-BNP-technology uses two antibodies whereupon the primary antibody detects an epitope located in a stable ring structure of BNP while the secondary antibody binds the complex formed by the primary antibody and BNP. Thanks to this unique detection scheme, unlike some of the contemporary BNP-assays, SES-BNP-technology is not susceptible to N- and C-terminus truncation. The first commercial SES-BNP-technology based assay was launched on the market this year.

SES-BNP and its performance has been evaluated in the following articles.

• Røsjø H, et al. (2012) Diagnostic utility of a single-epitope sandwich B-type natriuretic peptide assay in stable coronary artery disease: data from the Akershus Cardiac Examination (ACE) 1 Study. Clin Biochem. 2012 Nov;45(16-17):1269-75. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2012.05.010
• Tamm NN, et al. (2011) Measurement of B-type natriuretic peptide by two assays utilizing antibodies with different epitope specificity. Clin Biochem 44(2-3), 257-259. doi:10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2010.09.030
• Tamm NN, et al. (2008) Novel immunoassay for quantification of brain natriuretic peptide and its precursor in human blood. Clin Chem 54(9), 1511-8. doi: 10.1373/clinchem.2007.100545

Further information regarding SES-BNP-technology is also available here: “Single Epitope Sandwich” (SES) assay TechNotes

IGFBP-4

The HyTest patent “Detection of IGFBP-4 fragments as a diagnostic method”, patent no. EP 2 448 969, describes the use of PAPP-A cleaved IGFBP-4 fragments as predictors of major acute cardiac events. Preliminary results have shown that IGFBP-4 fragments could serve as more reliable risk markers than some of the other markers that are currently in use. The first commercial IGFBP-4 research using only the ELISA-kit will be made available by Mercodia (Sweden) in just a few months’ time.

IGFBP-4 and its use as a predictor has been described in the following articles:

• Hjortebjerg R, et al. (2015) IGFBP-4 fragments as markers of cardiovascular mortality in type 1 diabetes patients with and without nephropathy. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2015 Jun 5:jc20152196.
• Konev AA, et al. (2015) Characterization of endogenously circulating IGFBP-4 fragments-Novel biomarkers for cardiac risk assessment. Clin Biochem. 2015 May 27. pii: S0009-9120(15)00178-2. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2015.05.010.
• Schulz O, et al. (2014) Clinical differences between total PAPP-A and measurements specific for the products of free PAPP-A activity in patients with stable cardiovascular disease. Clin Biochem. 2014 Feb;47(3):177-83. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2013.10.027.
• Postnikov AB, et al. (2012) N-terminal and C-terminal fragments of IGFBP-4 as novel biomarkers for short-term risk assessment of major adverse cardiac events in patients presenting with ischemia. Clin Biochem. 2012 May;45(7-8):519-24. doi: 10.1016/j.clinbiochem.2011.12.030.

Further information regarding IGFBP-4 is also available here: HyTest Proprietary IGFBP-4 Technology TechNotes

For additional information on technology licensing terms please contact pekka.hilden@hytest.fi. You can also meet us at this year’s AACC in Atlanta to discuss things in more detail. We will be at booth #3751.