Vancouver, British Columbia – April 11, 2016 – Sirona Biochem Corp. (TSX-V: SBM) (Frankfurt: ZSB)(Xetra: ZSB) (the “Company”) announces that it has entered into a research collaboration with Dr. Caigan Du of the University of British Columbia to study the effects of new compounds, produced by Sirona’s subsidiary TFChem, for use in the preservation of red blood cells (RBC) and other cell lines.
Studies will be performed to evaluate improvement in the quality of RBCs after hypothermic storage and cryopreservation. Further research is being planned which will involve tissue preservation for applications such as organ transplant. Initial testing will begin in May with results expected in Q4 2016.
“We are thrilled that a team led by Dr. Du will study our compounds in RBC preservation and that he has accepted a position on our Scientific Advisory Board. There is a global unmet need when it comes to storage/shelf life of these blood products” said Dr. Howard Verrico, CEO.
“Extending the shelf life would greatly improve the ability to use donated blood. Current typical storage of donated blood is limited to 42 days. Extending this will have the potential to save lives at times of disaster, maintain supply of rare blood types and lessen overall blood inventory losses due to storage limitations. As a member of our Scientific Advisory Board, Dr. Du will be able to assist in research and development of multiple commercial indications for our new compounds”, he added.
About Dr. Du
Dr. Caigan Du is a scientist at the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute and an Associate Professor in the Department of Urologic Sciences at the University of British Columbia. He received a Ph.D. degree in Biochemistry in UK and postdoctoral training in Immunology in USA. He is interested in the pathogenesis of kidney ischemia-reperfusion injury and transplant rejection, and molecular control of urinary malignancies. He has been studying the impact of kidney donor-derived factors on renal allograft rejection, and the molecular pathways of kidney injury and regeneration in experimental models.
He is also interested in developing medical solution including drugs made from natural compounds for all kinds of health problems, including immune disorders, organ preservation, kidney failure and urinary cancer. He is the PI of many grant supports from the Kidney Foundation of Canada and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.
About Sirona Biochem
Sirona Biochem is a cosmetic ingredient and drug discovery company with a proprietary technology platform developed at its laboratory facility in France. The Company specializes in the stabilization of carbohydrate molecules, with the goal of improving compounds’ efficacy and safety. Sirona Biochem’s compounds are patented as new chemical entities for maximum commercial protection and revenue potential. Newly developed compounds are licensed to leading companies around the world in return for licensing and milestone fees and ongoing royalty payments. TFChem, Sirona Biochem’s wholly-owned French laboratory, is a recipient of multiple French national scientific awards and a European Union and French government grant.
For more information please visit www.sironabiochem.com.
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For more information regarding this press release, contact:
Christopher Hopton, CFO
Sirona Biochem Corp.
Phone: 1.604.282.6064
Email: chopton@sironabiochem.com
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