News
Larry D’Andrea joins Spartan Bioscience as CEO
Momentum continues as company moves to larger offices and hires more senior staff
Ottawa, ON, September 30, 2009 – Dr. Paul Lem, Founder, and the Board of Directors of Spartan Bioscience Inc., a Canadian molecular diagnostics company that develops, manufactures, and markets DNA analyzers for on-demand applications, today announced the appointment of Mr. Larry D’Andrea as CEO. This appointment, together with the recent addition of Dr. Steve de Hennin as Director of Research and Development and a move to larger offices, positions Spartan to be a dominant player in the DNA marketplace.
“We are excited to add Larry D’Andrea and Dr. Steve de Hennin to the Spartan team. As Spartan’s CEO, Larry will be responsible for implementing our strategy of providing customers with end-to-end solutions for DNA testing,” said Dr. Paul Lem, founder, Spartan Bioscience. “In my new role as Founder, I will be supporting Larry in developing Spartan’s technology strategy. Steve will be a great help in this regard because he is a crackerjack engineer and an inspiring executive.”
“Since the inception of Spartan in January, 2005, we have strived to add the best ‘Spartans’ we could find. With these recent additions we have established a very experienced senior team to guide the company to the next level of performance,” said Mark Kershey, President of Spartan Bioscience. “As one of the 3 original inventors/founders of Spartan, Dr. Lem has deemed this point as the logical time to transition his role and we applaud him for what had to be a difficult decision on his part. Having established commercial sales in August, 2009, we are poised for accelerated growth and are more than pleased to have both Larry and Steve on the Spartan team.”
Larry D’Andrea as new CEO
Mr. D’Andrea has more than 20 years experience in consulting to companies and producing dramatic bottom-line results. Most recently the leader of the Canadian M&A practice for Grant Thornton LLP, Mr. D’Andrea was a co-founder of Alluence Capital Advisors Inc. and a former partner with Ernst & Young. He has international experience leading projects in Canada, US, Mexico, Ireland, Italy, Czech Republic, Japan, Singapore, and China. Mr. D’Andrea’s professional designations include Certified Management Consultant (CMC) and Professional Engineer (P.Eng.).
”I am excited by Spartan’s potential – the Spartan technology will be a key part of the complete end-to-end solution that will bring low-throughput DNA testing to a broader market. Spartan will be able to create markets that previously could not access DNA testing because of the high cost of the instruments and the high skill requirements of the scientists performing the tests. While creating a new market does have its challenges, I look forward to working with the Spartan team as we begin to establish our footprint,” said Larry D’Andrea, the new CEO of Spartan Bioscience.
New Director of R&D
Dr. Steve de Hennin was recently appointed Director of Research and Development at Spartan Bioscience. He is responsible for managing all of the development engineering activities of Spartan.
He brings a wide range of product and application development experiences. Among his many previous successes was managing the telecom product development and manufacturing release of MEMS / spectrometer based ROADM product and technologies and automated alignment and laser welding stations. The products Steve and his team developed currently dominate the world telecom market. Earlier in his career, Dr. de Hennin headed a technical team operating a billion-dollar steel rolling mill, implementing state-of-the-art control systems on steel traveling at speeds in excess of 1m/s. Steve holds B.Eng Hons. from the University of Queensland and a Ph.D. in Process Systems Engineering from Imperial College, University of London.
New offices
As the company has grown, so too has the need for more office space, so Spartan Bioscience has recently relocated to a larger space to accommodate more staff – both in the management and on the scientific and research side of the business. They are now located at 204-6 Gurdwara Road, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K2E 8A3. New contact numbers include Tel: (613) 228-7756 and Fax: (613) 228-8636.
About Spartan Bioscience
Founded in 2005, Spartan Bioscience Inc. is a privately-held molecular diagnostics company that develops, manufactures, and markets PCR-based DNA analyzers for on-demand applications. The company is focusing on applications where rapid and convenient DNA testing is particularly important, such as low-throughput research experiments and non-batched testing for infectious diseases. For more information, please visit the website at www.spartanbio.com.
-30-
For Media and Analyst inquiries, please contact:
Shelley Mullins
Public Relations & Communications
Spartan Bioscience Inc.
shelley.mullins@spartanbio.com
613-866-8803
Spartan Bioscience and Cooperative Diagnostics collaborate to develop cost-effective and fast PCR testing for HIV/AIDS virus
Collaboration agreement brings together 2 technologies with goal to deliver DNA testing to the developing world
Atlanta, GA/Ottawa, ON, May 19, 2009 – Spartan Bioscience Inc. and Cooperative Diagnostics, LLC, each private companies with a vision to help the developing world test for diseases in a cost-effective and timely manner, have signed a cooperation agreement that will bring this vision a step closer to reality. By using the custom PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) assays designed and manufactured by Cooperative Diagnostics in the Spartan DX-12TM DNA analyzer, the companies hope they can bring PCR testing for viruses such as HIV/AIDS to the Global South region.
“Spartan’s vision is bringing the power of DNA testing to everyone. This means both the developed world and the developing world. There is enormous potential for remote and under-served regions to benefit from fast, affordable, and easy-to-use DNA analysis.” said Dr. Paul Lem, CEO and co-founder, Spartan Bioscience. “Too often, cost issues prevent the developing world from receiving life-saving medical technologies. This is why the collaboration agreement with Cooperative Diagnostics is so exciting – we have the potential to bring highly-accurate DNA-based HIV/AIDS testing to countries and regions who have been severely under-served and often forgotten.”
“Cooperative Diagnostics was founded with a singular purpose: to make the highest quality diagnostics available to the people who need them most,” said Brent C. Satterfield, Ph.D., President and Founder, Cooperative Diagnostics. “When traditional marketing approaches don’t meet the needs of the underserved populations in the world, then there is a need for people who care enough to think outside of the box – people who can find creative ways to generate sustainable change. We are pleased with our relationship with Spartan, because we feel that their approach to cost-effective PCR testing is a step in the right direction towards meeting the needs of the world’s nations.”
The agreement reached between the two companies is to form and execute a Joint Research Collaboration Project with the scope of conduct to include all necessary validation testing of the Cooperative Diagnostics HIV PCR Assay technology on the Spartan DX-12 DNA analyzer.
The Cooperative Diagnostics designed SimplexTM HIV-1 RNA kit is part of a blood screening kit manufactured and distributed by Cooperative Diagnostics International, S.A. in Guatemala. The research collaboration with Spartan is intended to provide additional validation for the HIV-1 test in applications for infant diagnosis and viral load testing in resource limited settings. With anticipated pricing of less than $10 U.S., the test will bring significant reductions to the cost of infant diagnosis and viral load testing.
The Spartan DX-12™ DNA analyzer, developed and manufactured by Spartan Bioscience Inc. is now available for world-wide commercial use. Priced at less than $12,500 U.S. and designed for non-batched PCR applications, the DX-12 is an easy-to-use, lightweight stand-alone instrument that produces both qualitative and quantitative results typically in 30 to 60 minutes.
About Spartan Bioscience
Spartan Bioscience Inc. is a privately-held molecular diagnostic instrumentation company developing, manufacturing, and marketing DNA analyzers for on-demand applications. Founded in 2005, the company is focusing on applications where rapid and convenient DNA testing is particularly important, such as low-throughput research experiments or time-critical diagnostic testing for infectious diseases. Other applications include human genetics, veterinary, food and water safety, and many others. The company is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. For more information visit the website at www.spartanbio.com
About Cooperative Diagnostics
With an R&D facility located in Greenwood, South Carolina, and a manufacturing and distribution facility located in Guatemala City, Guatemala, Cooperative Diagnostics combines superior real-time PCR assay design skills with proprietary informatics solutions for the rapid and efficient development of clinical molecular diagnostic assays. Since its inception in January of 2008, the company emphasis has been 100% focused on identifying and implementing ways to create sustainable change in diagnostics for global health. The company currently has four tests, HIV-1, HBV, HCV and Chagas together with a nucleic acid sample preparation kit available in Guatemala. Further tests are being developed for other neglected tropical diseases. For more information visit www.codiagnostics.com
-30-
For Media and Analyst inquiries, please contact:
Shelley Mullins
PR and Communications
Spartan Bioscience Inc.
shelley.mullins@spartanbio.com
613-866-8803
www.spartanbio.com
Spartan Bioscience DX-12™ DNA analyzer now available
12-well sample capacity and dual-channel detection device provides
PCR results on-demand
Atlanta, GA/Ottawa, ON, May 18, 2009 – Spartan DX-12™ DNA analyzer, developed and manufactured by Spartan Bioscience Inc™. is now available for world-wide commercial use. Priced at less than $12,500 U.S., the DX-12 is affordable for all laboratories. Designed for non-batched PCR applications, the DX-12 is an easy-to-use, lightweight stand-alone instrument that produces both qualitative and quantitative results typically in 30-60 minutes.
“The commercial release of the Spartan DX-12 is the culmination of 3 ½ years of intense development,” said Mark Kershey, President, Spartan Bioscience. “We are pleased that the first clinical validation of the instrument was completed by the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) and presented last month at the Clinical Virology Symposium in Florida and this validation has generated significant interest in our on-demand PCR analyzer. Our existing orders for the DX-12 will start shipping in June and the resellers that have been waiting for this device are being contacted to set the stage for global shipments.”
Key operating features of the Spartan DX-12 include:
• 12-well sample capacity and dual-channel optical detection
• Performs 2 or 3 temperature PCR programs
• Small size means minimal bench footprint
• Fully stand-alone; no computer required to operate or interpret results
• Built-in Reverse Transcription (RT) program for RNA analysisv
• Melt curve analysis
• Quantitative analysis
• Compatible with leading reagents and kits
Spartan will be showcasing the DX-12 at the BIO International Convention in Atlanta, GA, May 18-21, 2009, in the Province of Ontario Pavilion booth # 3311.
About Spartan Bioscience
Spartan Bioscience Inc. is a privately-held molecular diagnostic instrumentation company developing, manufacturing, and marketing DNA analyzers for on-demand applications. Founded in 2005, the company focus is on applications where rapid and convenient DNA testing is particularly important, such as low-throughput research experiments or time-critical diagnostic testing for infectious diseases. Other applications include human genetics, veterinary, food and water safety, and many others. The company is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada. For more information visit the website at www.spartanbio.com
-30-
For Media and Analyst inquiries, please contact:
Shelley Mullins
PR and Communications
Spartan Bioscience Inc.
shelley.mullins@spartanbio.com
613-866-8803
www.spartanbio.com
Please choose the menu on the left for other Spartan's news
