Agenix appoints board, aims to strengthen blood business

Listed biotech Agenix is ringing in changes to bolster its current blood diagnostics business while promoting the progress of its intended next-generation product, the Thromboview blood clot-imaging agent.

To steer Thromboview through ongoing clinical trials, Agenix has assembled a scientific advisory board of five North American and European experts on clinical and commercial aspects of cardiovascular drug development.

They include:

• Dr Jeff Ginsberg, director of the Thromboembolism Unit at McMaster University Medical Centre, Canada
• Dr Henry Royal, deputy director of the Division of Nuclear Medicine at the Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, St Louis
• Dr Philip Wells, chief of the Division of Haematology at Ottawa Hospital City Campus, Canada
• Dr Harry Buller, Department of Vascular Medicine, Amsterdam Medical Centre, Netherlands
• Prof Giancarlo Agnelli, professor of internal medicine at the University of Perugia, Italy

Thromboview, which uses radio-labelled antibodies to local blood clots in the body, is currently moving through Phase I human trails in Australian hospitals. The trials, which began in March, have successfully tested the safety and tolerability of Thromboview at two dosage levels, the company said.

On the diagnostics front, Agenix has added to more depth to its board by appointing to Myles Davey, a 20-year veteran of the diagnostics industry in the US and Australia, as a director. Davey is a former regional director of Abbott Laboratories' diagnostics division, based in Sydney.

His appointment could be seen as a reflection of Agenix need to re-position itself following its April break-up with US-based Synbiotics, a key distributor of its human and veterinary diagnostic test kits. Synbiotics and Agenix are currently locked in legal proceedings over the termination of their distribution agreement.

Agenix diagnostic kits, produced by wholly-owned subsidiary Agen Biomedical, form a core revenue stream for the company. Growing the US market for them through new distribution arrangements is a priority for the company.

Agenix could either set up its own direct operation in the US or appoint a replacement for Synbiotics. CEO Don Home said the company has made its decision on which path it will follow but declined further comment.

Meanwhile, former CFO Jeff Carter has taken up the same role at Sydney company Ambri.