ImmunoSite Technologies Allies with Immudex for More Effective T Cell Response Monitoring

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL, October 05, 2011 (Press-News.org) ImmunoSite Technologies (IST), LLC, a leading provider of immune monitoring services, has entered into a strategic agreement with Immudex, the sole proprietor of MHC DextramerTM technology.

Dextramers are superior reagents for the detection of antigen-specific T cells, having the ability to interact simultaneously with multiple receptors on a single T cell with unsurpassed avidity. The increased avidity of Dextramers compared to conventional MHC multimer reagents enhances resolution and signal-to-noise ratio providing a more accurate assessment of the T cell response, and clearly identifying responses previous generation technologies might miss.

In compliance with cGLP quality standards, IST specializes in incorporating antigen-specific responses in assay solutions to evaluate the safety and efficacy of vaccines and biologics. IST offers expertise in confirming the validity of processes involved in such studies. Together with Immudex's Dextramer technology, IST now offers enhanced capabilities to validate the effectiveness of potential vaccines and biologics, and thereby significantly improve the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of drug development and production.

Through the partnership, IST can refer clients that need to gauge T cell response to Immudex, and Immudex can refer clients that have other immune monitoring needs to IST. IST immune monitoring services include custom assay design, optimization, automation and validation; cell mediated immunity; functional immune monitoring and much more. This alliance adds to the capabilities of both companies while streamlining processes - providing for faster, more accurate results for customers. By accurately gauging the effect of an immunotherapy, researchers can reduce a study's timeline by weeks or even months, and more importantly, can avoid wrong and costly decisions based on weak and inaccurate data. This can prove invaluable during all phases of clinical trials, driving significant cost savings and productivity.

"If you've ever been on a conference call with eight separate vendors trying to figure out if a pharmaceutical is working, then you'll understand why this partnership is beneficial to our industry," said Wade Bolton, Ph.D., President of IST. "Immudex offers a technology that is superior in gauging T cell responses and we're honored to call them partners."

"IST's standardization, validation and automation of custom assays are the best in the industry," said Stephen Haley, Ph.D., Vice President and Director of U.S. Operations for Immudex. "This partnership greatly increases our offering capabilities and is poised to be a great asset to our current and future clients."

The alliance is not an exclusive partnership. IST still has the ability to use other technologies when deemed more appropriate or to meet a client's request.

For more information on ImmunoSite Technologies, please visit http://immunositetechnologies.com/; follow IST on Twitter at http://twitter.com/ImmunoSite; or follow on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/ImmunoSite-Technologies-LLC/167604859950599. For more information on Immudex, visit http://www.immudex.com/.

About ImmunoSite Technologies
Based in Ft. Lauderdale, FL, ImmunoSite Technologies, LLC (IST) offers a full range of contract research (CRO) immune monitoring services to leading biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and academic organizations around the world to provide products and services that span all stages of drug discovery and development. IST is rapidly building a worldwide reputation for services related to qualifying, standardizing, and when appropriate, automating assays associated with cell-mediated immunity. By using qualified reagents, controls, standards and processes, IST-developed functional assays perform within tight specifications and yield reproducible results, helping pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies to accelerate drug discovery, document clinical relevance and reduce costs. The IST team has been distinguished by their ongoing partnerships with best-in-class clinical trial organizations such as: the Immune Tolerance Network, the Immune Tolerance Institute, and the Imperial College of London-managed CD4 Initiative. This extensive cell analysis R&D experience qualifies IST scientists to comply with complex and demanding international scientific and governmental regulations.

About Immudex
Based in Copenhagen, Denmark with North American operations based in Fairfax, Virginia, Immudex is the sole proprietor of the MHC Dextramer technology. Immudex develops and commercializes products for the quantitation, characterization, and generation of antigen-specific T-cell responses for life science research, in vitro diagnostics and vaccine development. Immudex has a number of Research Use Only (RUO) products on the market, two products under development for in vitro diagnostic use, as well as a vaccine candidate in development for one of the most deadly of human diseases.