SIRS-Lab and DxS enter into licensing Agreement for the Application of Scorpions Technology in Sepsis Test SIQNATURE

Jena, September 22, 2008 SIRS-Lab GmbH and DxS Ltd today announced that they entered into an EU-wide in-licensing agreement for the Scorpions Technology including an option for worldwide IVD utilization. With the selection of the PCR platform technology, SIRS-Lab completes the technical design of its sepsis prediction and monitoring test SIQNATURE. The first-in-class test is now accessible for selected scientific experts and will be fully available in 2009.Further details and financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"The careful review of technologies resulted in the selection of the best option to complete the SIQNATURE product design. Now we expedite the commercialization of the novel test by clinical multicenter trials with leading international experts." states SIRS-Lab's CEO PD Dr Stefan Russwurm. After the trial phase, SIQNATURE will be broadly available for clinical routine as part of an integrated diagnostic product concept comprising pathogen detection and monitoring of the host response.

Commenting on the license agreement, Dr Stephen Little, CEO of DxS, says: "We are very pleased to have signed this agreement with SIRS-Lab, and look forward to seeing Scorpions developed for use in sepsis prediction. It is a further confirmation of confidence in our powerful real-time PCR technology, the high sensitivity, speed and specificity of Scorpions means that it will be ideally suited for applications in the field of infectious diseases."

Sepsis prediction and monitoring

In the field of infectious diseases, SIRS-Lab is first to succeed in identifying transcriptomic biomarkers which indicate sepsis earlier and more reliable than currently possible. Moreover the company successfully transferred those biomarkers into a rapid and easy to use probe based PCR test.
The molecular diagnostic test SIQNATURE allows the early detection of sepsis by differentiating between infectious and non-infectious states in hospitalized patients. It further is a unique tool to monitor the progression of sepsis being the most frequent cause of death in surgical intensive care units. Currently, rapid diagnostics are an unmet medical need facing strong demand for improved diagnostic approaches.