News and media

January 9, 2012, Piscataway, NJ, USA --- PBL InterferonSource (PBL), a leading provider of interferon research tools and services, and AVANZA Laboratories, a preclinical CRO that provides high quality regulatory-compliant drug development services, announce a unique collaboration between their two organizations that will focus on enhancing their ability to service the biopharmaceutical industry.

The role and regulation of protein biomarkers in diseases is a major focus area, particularly in cancer, autoimmune disease and inflammatory disease. Understanding the role of biomarkers in various disease states is becoming increasingly important as drug development moves towards the use of biologics for therapeutics. The joint venture will enable the companies to provide a broader offering for their customers that will include specialized assay development, technology collaborations, and innovative platform applications which will support protein biomarker research and cytokine drug development.

PBL InterferonSource CEO Robert Pestka said: “We have a deep understanding of interferons and cytokines as therapeutics and potential biomarkers. It’s exciting to bring AVANZA’s complementary service offerings together with our technical expertise to serve the drug development industry.”

AVANZA Laboratories’ Executive Vice President Ira DuBey commented: “Scientists are just beginning to unravel the roles that interferons and cytokines have in various diseases. We believe our partnership with PBL will allow us to provide relevant data faster and increase the efficiency of drug development, saving time and money.”

Financial aspects of the collaboration were not released.

About PBL InterferonSource PBL InterferonSource, a division of Pestka Biomedical Laboratories, based in Piscataway (NJ, USA), is the world’s leading supplier of interferon products to the life science researcher. Founded in 1990 by Sidney Pestka, M.D., PBL is the company that scientists turn to for their interferon and cytokine-related needs: products, services and technical know-how. The company strives to aid researchers around the world in a common quest to help humanity. To learn more, visit www.interferonsource.com.

About AVANZA Laboratories AVANZA Laboratories is a preclinical CRO that provides high quality regulatory-compliant drug development services. AVANZA is US owned and headquartered in Gaithersburg, Maryland. The AVANZA team is known for its extensive work in toxicology, including vaccines, developmental and reproductive toxicology (DART), safety pharmacology, product development support, and consulting services. Additional information about AVANZA Laboratories can be found at www.avanzalaboratories.com or by email at info@avanzalaboratories.com.