PRESS RELEASE

 

Cambridge, MD - IES Life Sciences has submitted a White Paper entitled "Identification and Companion Diagnostics of High-Risk High Mortality COVID-19 via Coronavirus   Interferon Disruption Test (CVID)" to the CDC and the HHS Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) in response to their request for the development of COVID -19 tests.

IES Life Sciences is developing a comprehensive lab test to determine if someone is infected with COVID-19 and also how severe their symptoms will be. The test measures the body's immune system to the virus infection and a repeat test of hospitalized patients is intended to guide how a physician may treat a specific patient. Many patients that don't survive exhibit a Cytokine Storm Syndrome (CSS) in advance of a rapid decline in health requiring a mechanical ventilator. IES believes the CVID test results should help doctors in earlier selection of treatments for patients that will go on to develop life-threatening COVID-19 disease symptoms including respiratory failure earlier and possibly death.

The Coronavirus Interferon Disruption (CVID) test only requires a small blood sample from a patient. Sample collection, testing and results are available in a few hours similar to most blood lab work that will provide another important measure for physicians to treat this novel infection. More effective and timely treatment selection should help shorten the duration of the disease in most patients and reduce the strain on resources from patients spending lengthy periods in the ICU.

IES is asking for clinical collaborators to supply blood samples of infected patients varying in severity of symptoms. The requested samples have no demographical restrictions. The company is also seeking funding resources. The quicker the company receives samples and funding, the quicker it can complete the development a CVID test for COVID-19.

The lead for this project is Robert Figliozzi, Ph.D. He is the Director of Research and Development for IES Life Sciences and has over eight years of experience in immunology and virology BSL-2 research and development.

"IES Life Sciences is a stellar example of the type of innovative technology company Maryland's Entrepreneurial Ecosystem is able to spawn and nurture, state Michael Binko, founder | CEO of Startup Maryland. "We met the IES Life Sciences team during the 2018 STRT1UP Roadshow as a biotech company setting roots on Maryland's Eastern Shore. The company is a resident at the Dorchester County Innovation Center campus and has become the first corporate partner in the Pharmaceutical Lab at the University of Maryland Eastern Shore (UMES) -- a land-grant HBCU recently celebrating its centennial. IES Life Sciences maintains both its primary offices and research lab in designated Opportunity Zones in Cambridge and Princess Anne, Maryland, respectively," added Binko.