SBIR Grant Baltimore, MD – June 8, 2011 — Fyodor Biotechnologies, a Baltimore-based diagnostic and biopharmaceutical company, announced today that the National Science Foundation has awarded the company a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I grant. With the $150,000 funding, Fyodor plans to further progress the development of its innovative Urine Malaria Test (UMT) technology.

“We are pleased to receive this award from the National Science Foundation from among what we can be sure was a highly competitive list of leading-edge project proposals,” said Eddy Agbo, DVM, PhD, Chairman & CEO of Fyodor Biotechnologies. “We will use the funds to broaden the utilization of Fyodor’s malaria diagnostic which uses urine instead of blood, and thus can be performed without the need for trained persons or other materials, resources often in short supply in areas of the world where diagnosis within 24 hours is critical.”

Fyodor intends to demonstrate proof of principle of its next generation UMT for the simultaneous diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum and P. vivax in one test. P. falciparum accounts for about 95 percent of clinical malaria in Africa, but only about 60 percent of clinical cases in Asia, South America, Western Pacific and the Mediterranean, where it often occurs as mixed infections with P. vivax, which accounts for 40 percent of cases. Such differential diagnosis is critical for both determining appropriate treatment and conducting epidemiological studies.

Fyodor’s flagship UMT product, which is currently undergoing validation testing, is used for the diagnosis of malaria caused by P. falciparum in persons with fever. Unlike currently available malaria diagnostics, it uses urine rather than blood, enabling point-of-care diagnosis even in remote areas where laboratory diagnosis is limited or non-existent. The UMT has the potential to facilitate current global efforts towards home-based diagnosis of malaria within 24 hours in all cases of fever.

About Malaria
Half of the world's population is at risk for malaria, and an estimated 225 million cases lead to nearly 800,000 deaths annually. The majority of deaths from malaria are in children under the age of five. Annually, about 18 million U.S. travelers visit malaria-endemic countries.

About Fyodor Biotechnologies, Inc.
Founded in 2008, Fyodor is focused on the research, development and manufacture of innovative diagnostic and biopharmaceutical products, first targeted to large emerging “frontier” markets in Africa. Fyodor’s efforts are also intended to galvanize biotechnology-based socio-economic development locally in sub-Saharan Africa, enhancing the region’s competitiveness in both the regional and global biotech marketplace, revolutionizing healthcare in the region. (www.fyodorbio.com)

National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering. In fiscal year (FY) 2010, its budget is about $6.9 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives over 45,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes over 11,500 new funding awards. NSF also awards over $400 million in professional and service contracts yearly.

 

Contact:
Anne M. Derrick
VP, Business Development and Operations
Fyodor Biotechnologies, Inc. [email protected]
443-552-0437