The patent relates to the combined use of a cardiac marker of cell injury, such as Troponin I, with a marker of organ adaptation, such as brain natriuretic peptide (BNP), for prognosis of chronic congestive heart failure (CHF) patients. The new claims strengthen the company’s intellectual property rights around the combined use of these two types of important biomarkers.
Howard Birndorf, CEO of Nanogen, said: “The combined use of Troponin I and BNP to evaluate the progress of congestive heart failure is just one example of how physicians currently combine biomarkers in cardiac care.”