Cylex, located in Columbia, Maryland, has produced the first cellular diagnostic test (an in vitro test) cleared by the FDA for the assessment of immunity for solid organ transplant patients. Physicians now have adequate diagnostic tools to determine specific disease progression, administer drug therapies and customize treatment options. The Cylex technology has the potential to expand the market for cellular immunity testing by providing highly specific information on a patient's immune cell function in a format that is rapid, reproducible, broadly applicable and completely suitable for use in clinical laboratories.

The market for the Cylex technology is derived from recurrent testing of patients who are immunocompromised as a function of their disease or immunosuppressed by therapy, autoimmunity or transplantation. The range of applications of the Cylex technology represents a market exceeding one hundred million dollars annually. Since receipt of the core patent in 1998, Cylex has generated more than $30 million in sales cumulatively in the organ transplantation market. Other opportunities exist in large secondary markets for other infectious diseases such as bone marrow transplant, sepsis, irritable bowel disease, HIV and hepatitis C, cancer and autoimmune disorders, tuberculosis and malaria, immunotoxicity screening.

An important commercial development was achieved late in 2010 – a near tripling in the allowed reimbursement price for Immuknow, the company's branded product, for Medicare patients.

Mr. Cahn is a board observer.

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