Under the terms of the agreement, ABG will pay Interleukin Genetics $1.2 million during 2008 for the research. Approximately $800,000 of unspent funding from prior research agreements with Alticor shall also be credited against the costs incurred under this new agreement.
The research agreement encompasses four main areas; osteoporosis, cardiovascular disease, nutrigenomics, and dermagenomics. Interleukin Genetics will be conducting various clinical studies, which shall be fully funded by Alticor. Studies will look to correlate single nucleotide polymorphic gene variations to the risk of osteoporosis or cardiovascular disease in Asian populations. Other studies will seek to identify genetic factors that influence athletic performance and skin appearance (wrinkles, elasticity, aging) for the purpose of developing products to enhance healthy aging.
Lewis Bender, CEO of Interleukin Genetics, said: “The areas in which we are collaborating with Alticor represent attractive, important and large markets. Alticor’s continued investment and commitment is an important endorsement in the development of risk assessment tests and personalized wellness products using our proprietary methods and intellectual property.”