West Perth-based biotechnology company Rockeby Biomed Ltd has announced that it has received and dispatched an order for 7,000 of its rapid diagnostic tests for Avian (or Bird) Flu to Romania.
West Perth-based biotechnology company Rockeby Biomed Ltd has announced that it has received and dispatched an order for 7,000 of its rapid diagnostic tests for Avian (or Bird) Flu to Romania.
The National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority in Bucharest, Romania, reported on 16th May five new outbreaks in that country.
The Rockeby Avian Influenza Virus Rapid Kit is recommended by the Institute for Diagnosis and Animal Health.
In February, the company completed further distribution deals in Europe for its Avian bird flu diagnostics as the strain of avian influenza A, H5N1, spread from Asia to the European Union.
At market close, shares in Rockeby were down .1 cents to 2.6 cents.
Below is the full announcement:
Rockeby wins Romania tender for Bird Flu Rapid Test
Singapore & Sydney: 25 May 2006: Rockeby Biomed (ASX: RBY) today announced that it has received and dispatched an order for 7,000 of its rapid diagnostic tests for Avian (or Bird) Flu to Romania.
The National Sanitary Veterinary and Food Safety Authority in Bucharest, Romania, reported on 16th May five new outbreaks in that country. The Rockeby Avian Influenza Virus Rapid Kit is recommended by the Institute for Diagnosis and Animal Health. As a result of this latest outbreak, the company has dispatched an initial order of 7,000 tests, following the awarding of the tender to supply Avian Flu rapid tests to the Romania State Veterinary Laboratories.
"While this is the first significant supply to Romania, it demonstrates the growing demand for Rockeby's Avian Influenza Kit and validates the need for the product in another region of the world. We expect to receive more orders from Romania," said Dr Sze-Wee Tan, CEO of Rockeby Biomed.
Avian Flu, also known as bird flu, is an infectious disease of birds caused by Type A strains of the avian influenza virus (H5N1). All birds are susceptible to infection, and there are also now cases of the virus spreading to humans.
Rockeby has also been invited to participate in the Avian Influenza Conferences organized by the International Financial Corporation of the World Bank. These conferences will be held on 29th May 2006 in Cairo, and 2nd June 2006 in Istanbul.
About Rockeby's test
The two test kits are for the detection of influenza A virus, including the H5N1 subtype, the agent that causes the bird flu that has been found to infect humans who come into close contact with birds, causing serious and often fatal disease.
One of the tests is a rapid screening method that measures bird flu proteins in samples taken from human nose or throat. The other is a veterinary diagnostic for on-site testing of bird faeces.
Both tests rely on immunological detection of viral protein and have the advantage of being self-contained and yielding the result within 10 minutes of application of the sample to the testing device.
About Rockeby Biomed:
Rockeby Biomed Limited is Singapore-based, ASX-listed (ASX: RBY) biotechnology
company specializing in research, development and marketing of rapid testing
technologies for infectious disease in humans and animals. The company's core
specialization is the development of rapid testing diagnostics.
