Navigant Biotechnologies awarded additional USD 2 M Department of Defense research funding

30-Aug-2004

Gambro's wholly owned subsidiary, Navigant Biotechnologies, Inc., announces that the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) has awarded it an additional USD 2 million grant to continue to develop and test its Mirasol(TM) Pathogen Reduction Technology (PRT) for applications improving the safety and availability of transfused blood for U.S. Armed Forces.

Navigant Biotechnologies was selected to develop a transportable pathogen reduction and blood safety system, applicable for use by the military. The company's Mirasol PRT process utilizes riboflavin and light to reduce pathogens in blood products, rendering the affected pathogens inactive. The research will continue to be conducted collaboratively between Navigant and the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research in Silver Spring, Maryland. The USD 2 million funding, a line-item appropriation in the DOD's fiscal 2005 budget, will be used to develop the Mirasol PRT process equipment and to test its ability to inactivate pathogens identified by the FDA and the Department of Defense as threats to the blood supply. These pathogens include viruses such as HIV and West Nile, parasites such as malaria, and bacteria - all identified as hazards in current and potential war zones.

"I am pleased that Congress saw fit to fund this important program," United States Congressman Bob Beauprez (R-Colorado) said. "The Transportable Pathogen Reduction and Blood Safety System being developed for the Army by Navigant Biotechnologies removes pathogens from blood supplies, making transfusions safer for our troops on the battlefield and our communities threatened by blood-borne pathogens, such as HIV, Hepatitis C, and the West Nile Virus." Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colorado) said, "I received many requests for funding this year and I felt this was among the most important projects. Ensuring a safe blood supply for our troops is a top priority and that is why the work done by Navigant Biotechnologies' Transportable Pathogen Reduction and Blood Safety System is so significant."

"Our company's goal is to lead the global market in the reduction of pathogens in blood using simple, safe and effective technology," said Teresa Ayers, Navigant Biotechnologies' President and CEO. "Support from Congressman Bob Beauprez and Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell was critical in helping us secure this grant. We are pleased and honored to have been selected by the Department of Defense to continue work on this important and long-term research program. It's one more step toward our goal."

Navigant Biotechnologies' Mirasol PRT process utilizes riboflavin and light to reduce the pathogen load in blood products, rendering the affected pathogens inactive. The Mirasol process is the first technology to show indications of working in all three major blood components: platelets, plasma, and red blood cells.

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