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Isis Awarded $6M CDC Grant for Development of Diagnostics for Infectious Disease

Oct 07, 2003

NEW YORK, Oct. 7 (GenomeWeb News) - Isis Pharmaceuticals said today it has received a three-year grant of up to $6 million from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop an RNA-based diagnostic technology for human and animal infectious diseases as well as biodefense.

 

This grant goes to the Ibis program, which the Carlsbad, Calif., antisense therapeutics company has created to use the company's knowledge of RNA along with genomics, bioinformatics, and mass-spec based high-throughput screening in the creation of a sensor for biological agents, and to develop small molecule antibacterial and antiviral drugs for treatment of these diseases.

 

Ibis initially developed the biosensor technology, called Triangulation Identification Genetic Evaluation of biological Risks (TIGER)., with funds from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency in October 2001. The CDC grant, the company said, will enable Ibis to apply diagnostic technology for identification of infectious agents such as the SARS coronavirus, West Nile virus, monkeypox virus, or drug-resistant bacteria.

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