Nordic Bioscience Diagnostics A/S

Development of biochemical assays for the diagnosis of bone and cartilage diseases such as osteoporosis, bone metastasis, arthritis and osteoarthritis

Nordic Bioscience Diagnostics emerged from the Biochemical Department of Osteometer A/S founded in 1991. Three years later, Osteometer split into Osteometer MediTech A/S and Osteometer BioTech, whereas Osteometer became specialised in the development of biochemical bone and cartilage markers. After the merger with OsteoPro in 2001, the company was renamed in Nordic Bioscience Diagnostics. NB has a number of alliances inter alia with Combio, NeuroSearch, Azign, Restoragen, Provalis, Roche and the Center for Clinical and Basic Research. Collaborations with academic partners include the Center for Proteome Analysis, Finsen Laboratory, NIH and the Universities of Amsterdam, Lyon, San Francisco and Yale.

Immunodiagnostics Symstems Ldt. announced the completion of the acquisition of Nordic Bioscience Diagnostics A/S.

Herlev Hovedgade 207
2730 Herlev
Denmark
Phone: +45-44-54-77-77
Fax: +45-44-54-88-88

Areas of therapeutic R&D at Nordic Bioscience include proteases, extracellular matrix molecules, ion channels, cytokines and isomerised peptides. The core competences of Nordic Bioscience’s therapeutic business are in vitro and in vivo pharmacology and the functional validation of drug candidates. In addition, the company has a vast knowledge and expertise in bone and cartilage metabolism and offers a number of kits that measure biochemical markers for bone turnover. The CrossLaps® assay is specific for an epitope at the C-terminal end of the collagen type I a1 chain, which is the major constituent of the organic bone matrix. The ELISA assays are available for the measurement of bone resorption and the detection of degradation products of type I collagen in serum, plasma and urine of human and rodents. In serum, osteocalcin is elevated in diseases with increased bone turnover such as osteoporosis, hyperparathyroidism and Paget’s disease. Low osteocalcin levels are associated with low bone turnover such as hypoparathyroidism and growth hormone deficiency. If osteocalcin is found in serum, it is almost exclusively derived from bone formation. N-MID® Osteocalcin ELISA assay measures the total pool of intact osteocalcin and N-MID fragments with equal affinity. CartiLaps immunoassays are measuring an epitope derived from the C-telopeptide part of collagen type II. The cartilage degradation marker is only found in collagen type II. CartiLaps® ELISA is available for measurements in urine, in vitro and in animal models.

The following section contains a selection of the company’s most relevant patents. For comprehensive patent information please refer to the espacenet databases.