Adeza Biomedical Awarded $500,000 for Phase II STTR Grant for Continuation of HLA-G Research.

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BW HealthWire)--Oct. 28, 1998--Adeza Biomedical Corporation (Adeza) recently received notification from the National Institutes of Health that it was awarded a Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer program grant of $500,000.

STTR grant applications are reviewed by authorities in industry and academia and are awarded based on the potential commercial applications of the research being supported. The grant is to continue research to investigate the correlation between levels of Human Leukocyte Antigen-G (HLA-G) in amniotic fluid and the outcome of pregnancy.

The importance of this research is that it would establish clinical validation of a test that measures placental development and function -- thus assisting physicians in assessing the potential risk of pregnancy complications including preterm delivery, hypertensive disorders and intrauterine growth retardation.

Annual costs of all premature birth-related disorders in the United States are as high as $5 billion. Such a test would also improve the quality and reduce the cost of prenatal care by allowing early and accurate identification of women destined to have abnormal pregnancies.

The collaborative investigation will involve the research efforts of Professor Susan Fisher, Ph.D., who holds joint appointments in the Departments of Stomatology, Anatomy, Ob/Gyn and Pharmaceutical Chemistry at the University of California, San Francisco, and Principal Investigator, Dr. Simon C. Shorter, Ph.D., scientist at Adeza.

Drs. Fisher and Shorter will investigate the theory that HLA-G when present in cervicovaginal secretions is closely associated with pregnancy complications. Dr. Shorter stated, "We are very excited to receive this Phase II grant. We will continue to conduct clinical studies to validate our test for HLA-G, and subsequently move into the commercialization of this research in the areas of women's health care."

Adeza Biomedical is located in Sunnyvale, in the heart of Silicon Valley. Adeza designs, develops, manufactures and markets diagnostic products and services targeted to women's health care, focusing primarily on the diagnosis of pregnancy-related and female reproductive disorders, including preterm birth, preeclampsia, endometriosis and infertility.

Most recently, Adeza received FDA approval for its TLi(TM) System for rapid Fetal Fibronectin testing, which marks a significant breakthrough, for the assessment of a pregnant woman's likelihood of delivering prematurely. Adeza's website is located at www.adeza.com.