Dr. Cyril Geacintov, President and CEO, DRG International, is pleased to announce that it has received U.S. Patent 7,411,048, issued August 12, 2008 , in addition to U.S. Patent 7,320,894 issued January 22, 2008.

These patents are directed to diagnostic antibodies and diagnostic kits for the detection of mature hepcidin and prohepcidin. In the United States, these kits are for Research Use Only. These patents are part of a larger patent portfolio directed to the protection of DRG International's scientific and marketplace leadership in this field. DRG International is a leader in the development and manufacture of commercial diagnostic kits for the detection of various disease markers. DRG International is the sole supplier of commercially available kits for the detection of hepcidin, enabling a simple and widely practicable immunoassay (ELISA) to be used for direct measurement of hepcidin concentration in human fluids.

The mature form of prohepcidin, hepcidin, is a major player in iron metabolism, and abnormal levels of hepcidin have been observed in various diseases including diabetes, chronic renal insufficiency and various anemias, and Hemochromatosis as an additional disease target.