BTG Acquires Novel Plaque Diagnostic

The acquisition of an exclusive license to a novel probe for identifying atherosclerotic plaque lesions, created by a team of scientists at Memorial University of Newfoundland (St. John's, Canada) has been announced by BTG (London, UK).

The probe consists of a chemical compound encapsulated into an acetylated low-density lipoprotein (LDL). After being injected into the bloodstream, the probe travels to the site of atherosclerotic plaque and delivers the diagnostic agent directly to a specific lesion. The plaque is then detected by gamma camera imaging or computed tomography (CT) scanning. The developers state that the technique may not only show the presence of plaque but also its locations and stage of progression.

"BTG is the right partner for us in commercializing this technology. Its long history in medical imaging, combined with its ownership of the core intellectual property in magnetic resonance imaging technology, illustrates to us that it is comfortable in this market,” said David King, director of the Genesis Group, the technology commercialization arm of Memorial University.

BTG plans to commercialize this technology through an out-licensing program and is currently seeking to partner with companies capable of developing and marketing medical imaging agents.





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