Response Biomedical Supplies UN Weapons Inspectors
in Iraq with Anthrax Detectors

UN inspectors in Iraq are equipped with an on-site test that can detect biological weapons of mass destruction, including anthrax, within minutes. The system they chose is the RAMP Reader, developed and manufactured by Response Biomedical Corporation, a small Vancouver-based company. Weighing in at about two kilograms, this battery-operated diagnostic system can also identify other deadly biowarfare toxins that can be used in bioterrorism, such as botulinum and ricin. Teams of weapons inspectors have received RAMP training at UN headquarters in New York.

World's First Rapid and Reliable On-Site Detector of Biowarfare Agents

More than a year after the anthrax attacks in the United States, most emergency response teams continue to rely solely on lab testing, which takes an average of two days, precluding an immediate and effective response to a hoax or actual attack. "We are proud to support the weapons inspectors' vital efforts in Iraq by supplying world-class technology to protect public health and safety against the threat of lethal biowarfare attacks," says Bill Radvak, President and CEO of Response Biomedical. "The RAMP (Rapid Analyte Measurement Platform) system is a critical diagnostic tool that will vastly reduce the ever-present threat of bioterrorism at home and abroad." In independent evaluations conducted by the Canadian Department of National Defence and Maryland State Department of Health, RAMP was 100 percent reliable in detecting B. anthracis at or above 4,000 spores—significantly below an infectious dose level, which is commonly defined as 10,000 spores.

Marketing the Technology to the United Nations

The RAMP system, which Response Biomedical initially developed as a clinical tool for rapidly detecting heart attacks in critical care settings, may also eventually be employed for checking water quality and food safety. Following the scares in late 2001—when the receipt of anthrax-laced letters closed buildings for long periods, pending the results of laboratory analysis—RAMP was successfully developed as a test for the detection of biological agents. The company contacted the United Nations Monitoring, Verification and Inspection Commission (UNMOVIC) after Saddam Hussein agreed to allow weapons inspectors back into Iraq.

At first, UNMOVIC was somewhat sceptical of the performance claims of the newly developed RAMP system, due to prior experience with a succession of poorly performing rapid detection systems. One of the inspectors, however, acquired access to an evaluation that was conducted at a U.S. military proving ground, convincing him of RAMP's effectiveness. The Commission subsequently requested systems and training for their biological inspection team.

"During the training session administered at UNMOVIC headquarters in New York by Response Biomedical's Dr. Paul Harris, the inspectors expressed great enthusiasm and relief at finally having a portable detection system upon which they could rely," says Radvak. The devices were immediately deployed for field testing in regions surrounding Baghdad and Basra. Pursuant to a request by UNMOVIC, Response Biomedical has initiated development of RAMP tests for smallpox and bubonic plague.

"Although our long-term strategy remains heavily weighted with clinical applications, we recognized a large and sustainable market opportunity in the detection of biological agents that we were uniquely suited to address," says Radvak. "There are more than two million emergency response personnel at some 90,000 public health and safety facilities on the front lines of biowarfare who would directly benefit from the ability to quickly detect or dismiss a potential threat—a critical first step of any biodefence strategy."

RAMP's Clinical Applications

The RAMP Reader is the only immunoassay-based platform technology with biological warfare detection applications to receive regulatory market clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for general clinical use and as a test for myoglobin, an essential cardiac marker for the early diagnosis of heart attacks. Regulatory clearance in Canada is pending. Response Biomedical has been receiving heightened expressions of interest from individuals and organizations around the world, including the investment community, corporations and major government agencies.

For more information, contact:

Export Financing Division, DFAIT
Tel.: (613) 995-7251
E-mail: ifinet@international.gc.ca

Bill Radvak, President and CEO
Response Biomedical Corp.
Tel.: (604) 681-4101
E-mail: bradvak@responsebio.com
Internet: www.responsebio.com

Publication date: 2003-01-20