SCHAUMBURG, Ill., June 12, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- NTS Ventures (NTS), a mycology and antifungal clinical research laboratory and International Health Management Associates, Inc./IHMA Europe Sàrl (IHMA), a full-service central anti-infective clinical microbiology laboratory have announced a collaborative agreement that will provide the pharmaceutical industry with a brand-new antifungal resistance surveillance program termed STAR. In addition to the expertise provided by NTS and IHMA, STAR is heavily supported through affiliations with key opinion leader (KOL) laboratories throughout the world. As antifungal resistance rises and epidemiology changes, STAR will intimately monitor fluctuations and trends in antifungal resistance and epidemiology over time. It will be an excellent tool to serve authorities, biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies in the relentless fight against antifungal drug resistance. The clinical isolates prospectively collected through STAR will include all major yeasts (including the emerging pathogen Candida auris) and filamentous fungi, such as Aspergillus spp. as well as the rarer and highly invasive mold species such as Mucor spp., Rhizopus spp., among others.
The development of new antifungal agents is increasing. Consequently, STAR will support these drugs to ensure the fight against antifungal resistance will be more efficient and to gain precious time in reducing and eventually eliminating new resistance. The agreement between NTS and IHMA will allow all pharmaceutical and biotech companies access to the STAR program in a cost- and time-effective manner. "The STAR program is a one of a kind surveillance initiative profiling serious fungal infections, including Candida auris and Aspergillus, against common and experimental antifungals under development," said Dr. Mahmoud Ghannoum, Founder of NTS Ventures.
"The STAR surveillance program will provide valuable information regarding serious fungal infections and provide the medical community with up to date and pertinent information regarding antifungal agents," said Dr. Daniel Sahm, Chief Scientific Officer and VP of Global Microbiology Services at IHMA, Inc.
ABOUT NTS Ventures
NTS is based in Cleveland, OH and provides preclinical, clinical and translational services designed to bring antifungal, antibacterial and dermatology agents from discovery to market. NTS has the ability to support drug development in preclinical and clinical testing phases in order to satisfy FDA Investigational New Drug (IND) and New Drug Application (NDA) submissions. Over the past 25 years the NTS team has worked with a large range of entities including global Big Pharma, start up and growth stage biotech companies, full-spectrum CRO's as well as academic institutions.
For more information, please visit https://www.ntsventures.com.
ABOUT IHMA
IHMA is based in Schaumburg, IL USA and Monthey, Switzerland and has been a premier provider of antimicrobial drug development services over the past 25 years. Our laboratory facilities in both the US and Europe partner with clients around the world in the biotechnology, pharmaceutical, and diagnostic industries. IHMA is a leading, independent laboratory specializing in surveillance studies and clinical trials, key milestones along the continuum from drug development to commercialization. IHMA utilizes state of the art technology, leading to first-class testing and data as well as sound economic frameworks. IHMA's services can be customized to best align with its clients' unique testing needs. This ensures successful drug development, commercialization, and post-marketing pathways. For more information, visit the IHMA website at: www.ihma.com
CONTACT INFORMATION
Brian Johnson
bjohnson@ihma.com
