News

The Norwegian research Council has granted DiaGenic NOK7.8m for the development of blood based diagnostic microRNA tests to detect Alzheimer's disease. HUNT Biosciences supplies clinical samples into the project.

In the lates issue of the Biopharmaceutical Review, HUNT Biosciences present open innovation collaborations in a historical context linked to the development of biomarkers for pharmaceutical and diagnostic purposes.

Levanger, Norway and Boulder, CO, USA -- April 10, 2012 
HUNT Biosciences and SomaLogic, Inc., today announced a new collaboration to advance the clinical use of protein biomarkers, with an initial focus on the validation of biomarkers for the prediction of cardiovascular events such as strokes, heart attacks, and heart failure.

Levanger, Norge og Boulder, CO, USA -  10 april, 2012. 
HUNT Biosciences og SomaLogic, Inc., kunngjorde i dag at de inngår et samarbeid for å fremme klinisk bruk av protein-biomarkører. Samarbeidet vil i første omgang omfatte validering av biomarkører som kan forutsi risiko for nye kardiovaskulære hendelser som slag, hjerteinfarkt og hjertesvikt.

Our present CEO is leaving during spring 2012 to take up a position as Managing Director of the Norwegian Industrial Property Office (Patentstyret). HUNT Biosciences is therefore looking for a new CEO.

In a large HUNT study, it is indicated that a rise in resting heart rate may indicate an increased risk of death from heart disease. The study was published in JAMA December 21, 2011 and The New York Times covered the study in an article January 3, 2012,

Commercial use of biobanks is not a clear- cut ethical issue. In trying to understand lay peoples view on commercial use of human biological material including human biobanks, Steinsbekk et al* have interviewed various groups from the county of Nord-Trøndelag who also had participated in HUNT and thereby donated biological materials to the HUNT Biobank.

On November 17th Per A Foss, CEO of HUNT Biosciences was interviewed on National Broadcasting , NRK 1. In the program “ Her og Nå” Foss commented on how samples and data from HUNT now can be used for research by pharmaceutical and diagnostic companies to develop new products and diagnostic tests.  One of the themes in the program was how to secure the interest of the HUNT participants, including their full anonymity.  

HUNT Research Centre who administers the well known HUNT studies is the first human biobank in Norway to be certified according to the ISO 9001:2008 Quality Standard. The HUNT quality system includes data collection, data storage, quality assurance and storage of biological samples and data in HUNT Biobank and HUNT Databank.

HUNT Biosciences and Byte.no has teamed up to produce a new HUNT Bisociences web portal. The development is divided into three phases and includes web pages, social media, smart phone technology, and database integrations. First phase go-live milestone is scheduled at November 14, 2011.

The HUNT Biosciences Board of Directors has now approved a set of guidelines for commercial use of the HUNT samples and data.

Mikael Oerum is co-founder and Partner of Ventac Partners since 2002. He holds more than 30 years of executive experience in the biotechnology and finance sectors. He has a proven track record in identifying business opportunities, developing and executing strategic business plans, fund raising, and international deal making. Since 2005, Mikael Oerum serves as CEO and Chairman (and co-founder) of Avexxin.  

HUNT Biosciences AS, the specialized biomarker discovery and validation company, today announced that it had signed a collaboration agreement with Tissue Solutions Ltd, a leading international supplier of biological samples for the pharmaceutical and diagnostics industry.

HUNT Biosciences has engaged Hilde Kjeldstad Berg as a Project Manager. She holds a Master’s degree in Biophysics and Medical Technology from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, and has both clinical and scientific work experience as well as commercial experience selling ultrasound and MR equipment for GE Healthcare.

Technology transfer specialists step up as business development officer with HUNT Biosciences.

HUNT Biosciences – role model for a proposed National Biobank company in Norway

The General Assembly of HUNT Biosciences have  on October 15 agreed to invest additional NOK 9 mill in the company.  

On March 17^th HUNT Biosciences and NTNU signed an agreement regarding use of data and samples from The North Trøndelag Health Study (HUNT). HUNT Biosciences, according to the agreement, has access to HUNT material for specific project applications.

HUNT Biosciences, the commercial arm of the HUNT Study and associated biobank today announced the appointment of former GE Healthcare director Per Foss as its new CEO. The company provides pharmaceutical and healthcare companies with biomarker discovery and validation services. These are based on the unique HUNT Study, which for the past 25 years has gathered blood samples from the general population of the Nord-Trøndelag region together with detailed phenotype and environmental data. Foss joins just as recruitment for the third phase, HUNT III has closed, again with an astonishing high inclusion rate of 60%. This will bring the total recruitment number of unique individuals to 135,000 and reinforce the core strengths in key public health areas such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obstructive lung disease, osteoporosis and mental health. More than 60 % of the participants have been screened twice, 25 % have participated in all three surveys.