IBT Bioservices offers screening and testing services designed to identify therapeutic molecules with activity against viruses and bacteria.
As experts in the field of infectious diseases and biowarfare countermeasures, IBT Bioservices has worked with large and small clients to screen their compounds for activity against deadly infectious diseases. IBT Bioservices has developed antiviral screening assays and in vitro antibacterial activity assays that are designed to identify compounds with a high potential for use as anti-infectives. To date we have screened over 2000 compounds for clients interested in expanding the indication of their drug candidates into infectious diseases. IBT Bioservices provides its customers with value added consulting and customer support so that you can get the full benefit of our experience.
Why work with IBT Bioservices?
Our company has well established core competencies in screening small molecule compounds against viruses that often require BSL 3 and 4 containment. Screening against these viruses is often cost prohibitive due to the expense of containment facilities. IBT Bioservices has circumvented this problem by using vaccine strains of these viruses that react to compounds in a similar way, but do not require the same containment precautions.
Why screen for Anti-infective Properties?
The simple answer is that compounds developed for specific diseases are often found to have potent activity against infectious diseases. IBT Bioservices has specific expertise in the study of highly virulent tropical viruses. By screening your compounds, IBT Bioservices can uncover hidden value in your pipeline. Our screens are geared toward viruses and bacteria of significant interest to the U.S. government, the U.S. military and many countries in tropical zones. Historically these viruses have caused significant human and economic loss in the developing world. Tropical diseases affect nearly 1 billion people throughout the world. The United States military has actively researched vaccines and therapeutics for these diseases for over 70 years. In addition, due to the importance to the U.S. military, there is often development funding available through grants and contracts for drug developers that have high potential products with proof of concept data.
Non-governmental organizations such as the Gates Foundation have actively funded development of drugs to service this market as well. Lastly, new legislation enacted by the U.S. Congress gives the Food and Drug Administration permission to issue what it calls priority review vouchers to any pharmaceutical company that is granted regulatory approval for a new tropical medicine. The FDA is currently drafting final guidance on the vouchers, but the intention is to provide FDA license holder of the tropical medicine (1st to market) an expedited review of any one drug. In the case of a blockbuster drug this shortened review could save 6-12 months of marketing time, increasing product revenue. A hit against one of these high value viruses could significantly increase the value of your pipeline. This legislation is intended to act as an incentive for developers to develop drugs for these market. Read more about the FDA’s voucher program at: Guidance for Industry Tropical Disease Priority Review Vouchers.