China gets city firm's 'CAT scan' for bird flu

A Huntsville biotechnology firm has reached an agreement to sell its testing technology, which can detect avian flu strains, to two Chinese hospitals.

The deal involving Huntsville's Genaco Biomedical Products was announced by Gov. Bob Riley, who is on a trade mission in Asia.

The technology, known as Templex, was described by the company's founder, Dr. Jian Han, as a kind of "CAT scan for infectious diseases."

The testing system can detect between 10 to 20 different bacteria and viruses that can cause the same clinical systems, Han, who is the Templex developer, said in a news release.

"Such 'one test, know it all' technology can significantly improve health care quality and may also become front-line defense against international public health crises such as SARS and avian flu."

The technology can allow for a rapid diagnosis and gives public health officials the opportunity to quarantine patients infected with avian flu.

China has had 19 reported cases of avian flu and 12 deaths since 2005, according to the World Health Organization.

Avian flu is blamed for 131 deaths primarily in Asia since 2003. The WHO reports 229 confirmed human cases of the flu.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control have been taking the Templex technology through a validation phase for the past three years.

The announcement of the sale to the private Chinese hospitals was exciting news, said Dr. Mei Lu, Genaco's chief operating officer.

"This is a very powerful technology," Lu said. "We are moving into the molecular age for diagnostics, and we hope this will benefit patients. It is a long step from research to health care for patients, and it is very exciting to see how this technology can be used for a hospital."

Riley is traveling to South Korea today from China.

"This an example of how Alabama's biotech industry is making revolutionary innovations in health care and life sciences," Riley said. "Alabama is becoming known around the world as an emerging leader in biotech."

Genaco was founded in 1996 and employs 18 people. The company will become part of the Hudson-Alpha Institute for Biotechnology scheduled to open here in fall 2007.