Nutra Pharma Corp. (OTCBB:NPHC), a biotechnology company that is developing drugs for HIV and Multiple Sclerosis, has today announced that its wholly-owned medical devices subsidiary, Designer Diagnostics, has started marketing the first-ever environmental test kit for the detection of Nontuberculous Mycobacteria (NTM) in water and soil.
The primary goal of these environmental test kits is to reduce the number of NTM infections worldwide by preventing the public’s exposure to NTM and determining the source of origin of NTM infections in patients,” explained Neil Roth, President of Designer Diagnostics. “In order to accomplish this goal, we believe that every municipality, hospital and water treatment facility should have these test kits on hand for periodic testing of the environment,” he added.
Nontuberculous Mycobacterium, also known as atypical Tuberculosis (Atypical TB) or Mycobacterium other than Tuberculosis (MOTT), is a bacteria that is found in a multitude of environments - in the soil, in some domestic and wild animals, and perhaps most importantly, in water, including showers and hot tubs. One of the most common forms of NTM infections found in humans is Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC). This is a primary cause of respiratory disease in humans and is a leading cause of death in HIV/AIDS patients.
In December, Nutra Pharma announced that it expanded its licensing agreement with Ohio-based NanoLogix, Inc. (PINK SHEETS:NNLX) to include additional intellectual property for the use of testing the environment for NTM.
“All of us at NanoLogix are excited that this beneficial technology is finally coming to market,” said Bret Barnhizer, CEO of NanoLogix, Inc. “These test kits will not only play an important role in reducing NTM infections in developing nations, but will also assist in the detection and prevention of NTM exposure and infection in the United States and other developed countries,” he added.
Recently, distinguished NTM research scientist Dr. Rahul Narang used the Designer Diagnostics environmental test kits to test soil and water samples collected from the environment of patients with NTM infections. This was the first time the technique was used in India and the findings were presented in November at the 38th Union World Conference on Lung Health in Cape Town, South Africa.
About Nutra Pharma Corp.
Nutra Pharma Corp. is a biopharmaceutical company specializing in the acquisition, licensing and commercialization of pharmaceutical products and technologies for the management of neurological disorders, cancer, autoimmune and infectious diseases. Nutra Pharma Corp., through its subsidiaries, carries out basic drug discovery research and clinical development and also seeks strategic licensing partnerships to reduce the risks associated with the drug development process. The Company's holding, ReceptoPharm, Inc., is developing these technologies for the production of drugs for HIV and Multiple Sclerosis ("MS"). The Company's subsidiary, Designer Diagnostics, is engaged in the research and development of diagnostic test kits designed to be used for the rapid identification of infectious diseases such as Tuberculosis (TB) and Mycobacterium avium-intracellulare (MAI). Nutra Pharma continues to identify and acquire intellectual property and companies in the biotechnology arena