Immunetics wins $1.2M from NIH to fight resistant bacteria

By Mass High Tech Staff

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Boston diagnostics firm Immunetics Inc. has won two federal grants totaling $1.2 million to develop a test for antibiotic resistance in bacteria.

The deadly bacteria behind antibiotic resistance, such as MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus), have gained national headlines as a growing problem in health care.

The National Institutes of Health’s allergy and infectious diseases unit has granted the funding to Immunetics to focus on tests for antibiotic resistance and a parasitic agent linked to Chagas’ disease. Chagas’ disease is a parasitic infection transmitted during blood transfusions, the company said.

The work will be done with Tufts Medical Center in Boston and the Jackson Memorial Center at the University of Miami, according to Immunetics, and follows a $1.5 million grant to develop the bacterial test.

Founded in 1987, the privately held company has been developing diagnostic tests and markets several products worldwide. The firm employs 24 workers, said CEO Andrew Levin.

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