WASHINGTON, DC, Oct. 3 – Ausam Biotechnologies is set to strike a licensing deal in the current quarter with a pair of "major US pharmaceutical companies" for its proteomic-based kidney disease diagnostic, the company’s CEO told GenomeWeb on Wednesday.
Although he would not name those companies, James McCullough did say that the product, which detects impending kidney disease my measuring amounts of albumin in an individual’s urine, has recently completed human trials and is scheduled to launch in the US "early next year."
"This represents an important product for us because of the many people in the US and around the world who develop kidney disease," McCullough said during the Biotechnology Industry Organization Venture Forum meeting here, which ends on Thursday. He added that the market for his company's test may reach $1 million between five and 10 years.
Kidney disease that can be diagnosed using Ausam’s technology can arise from a variety of primary disorders, including diabetes, McCullough said. Current tests on the market—which number more than 100—are often inaccurate.
Ausam is based in Santa Monica, Calif.