Tepnel receives grants to develop novel diagnostics and to help promote its pharmaceutical services in Scotland
Manchester, UK, 6 August 2007 Tepnel Life Sciences PLC (AIM: TED), the international Molecular Diagnostics and Research Products & Services group, announces that it has been awarded two grants which will be used to expand its pipeline of human diagnostic tests and to promote future growth of its pharmaceutical services business in Scotland.
A grant of £50,000 has been awarded by the BBSRC to support the development of novel epigenetic diagnostics. The award was made under the Industry Interchange Programme which seeks to promote the transfer of expertise between academic and commercial organisations.
This grant relates to a research project led by Professor Mike Wilkinson, Head of the Institute of Biological Sciences at The University of Wales Aberystwyth. Professor Wilkinson, in collaboration with Tepnel, is developing a novel approach to diagnostics which may be used to accurately identify a broad range of disease states including so-called complex, psychiatric diseases. Epigenetics (the study of reversible hereditary information not mediated by the DNA sequence itself) is a rapidly growing field and is central to this collaboration.
The development of novel epigenetic technology will benefit Tepnel's molecular diagnostic and pharmaceutical service businesses by providing new and more efficient methods to screen for epigenetic changes that indicate both predisposition to and the development of disease. The introduction of epigenetic based services will also complement genotyping and other molecular services at Tepnel's new facility in Livingston allowing researchers to investigate both epigenetic and genetic factors in disease and therapeutic development.
A business support award from Scottish Enterprise, Edinburgh and Lothians (SEEL) will be used to support an overseas marketing campaign in Europe and the US to promote Tepnel’s Research Products and Services (RPS) based in Livingston, Scotland.
This grant will enable Tepnel’s pharmaceutical service’s business to market its products and services to countries outside the UK.
Ben Matzilevich, CEO of Tepnel, said: “These grants will enable Tepnel to expand its molecular diagnostics pipeline in high growth areas. We will also promote our growing pharmaceutical services and products in countries where we do not have an established presence. Tepnel will continue to seek additional grant funding for these and other projects and is optimistic it can reduce/defer costs through grant funding and strategic partnerships.’
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For Further Information:
Tepnel Life Sciences plc
Ben Matzilevich, CEO
Carol Smith
Tel: 0161 946 2200
Capital MS&L
Mary Clark or Halina Kukula
Tel: +44 20 7307 5330
Seymour Pierce Limited
Mark Percy
Tel: +44 20 7107 8000
Notes to Editors:
About Tepnel Life Sciences plc
Tepnel Life Sciences (AIM:TED) is a UK-based international life sciences products and services group with two divisions, Molecular Diagnostics and Research Products & Services. The Company has laboratories, manufacturing and operations in the USA, UK and France with 195 employees. TLS provides test kits, reagents and services to two highly synergistic markets, these being Molecular Diagnostics and Biomedical Research. The company’s strategy has been to identify high growth niche opportunities within these multi-billion pound markets. TLS focuses on these niche opportunities with internally developed products, patents, expertise and know-how as well as strategic acquisitions, to develop a leadership position within these defined market segments.
