EKF Diagnostics Enters Collaborative Relationship with Joslin Diabetes Center

EKF Diagnostics, the global diagnostics company, has entered a multi-year, collaborative relationship with Joslin Diabetes Center ("Joslin") in support of the ongoing clinical and commercial translation of TNFR1 & 2 biomarkers. These novel biomarkers can help identify patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes that are at an increased risk of developing end stage renal disease (ESRD), up to ten years in advance.

The new agreement between Joslin, an affiliate of Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA, USA), and EKF is part of Joslin's Corporate Liaison Program (CLP). This program seeks to accelerate development, validation and market introduction of unique products and solutions that advance treatments and care for diabetes and its complications.

As globally recognized leaders in the field of diabetes research, Joslin has created the CLP in order to foster industry partnerships within the pharmaceutical, biotechnology, food and device industries. The role of the CLP is to help engage corporate partners, such as EKF, with Joslin's capabilities in advisory services, clinical expertise, and research infrastructure. This enables Joslin to work closely with an industry partner to customize its offerings towards a defined product program or a range of corporate priorities within diabetes management.

EKF will access certain clinical and research expertise at Joslin under the CLP to further develop its TNFR biomarker test. The two key objectives of this effort are to:
- Accelerate the clinical development, as well as understanding physician adoption criteria and trends relating to the TNFR-1/2 test.
- Advance the research to support the clinical utility of TNFR 1&2 assays as biomarkers in Diabetic Kidney Disease. This will be accomplished in part by leveraging the collaboration of Joslin with certain partners in the pharmaceutical industry.

"We are excited to collaborate with EKF to advance the development of TNFR1/2 as predictive biomarkers of progressive, diabetic kidney disease," said Nandan Padukone, VP and Head of Global Business Development at Joslin. "Together we hope to identify patients that are at an increased risk of developing ESRD so that better treatment options can be evaluated."

Julian Baines CEO of EKF Diagnostics Holdings commented, "We are delighted to announce this exciting collaboration which will help us build upon the significant progress we have made in the last two years. Through our excellent relationship with the Joslin Center we are focused on bringing this test into clinical practice, leading to improved outcomes for diabetic patients at risk of progressive kidney disease".

This announcement follows an exclusive license agreement between EKF and Joslin in July 2012 to develop and commercialize soluble Tumor Necrosis Factor Receptors 1 and 2 (sTNFR1/2) as predictive biomarkers of progressive Diabetic Kidney Disease.