Microbial Novoteqs Expands Presence, Creates Jobs at CET Life Sciences Center

    NASHVILLE, Tenn., Jan. 26 /PRNewswire/ -- Cumberland Emerging
 Technologies, Inc. (CET) is pleased to announce that Microbial Novoteqs,
 Inc. is expanding its presence as a tenant at the downtown CET Life
 Sciences Center. The company will lease additional wet lab and office space
 in the newly expanded facility, which is adjacent to the Union Station
 Hotel.
     Launched in late 2006 by former Vanderbilt professor of microbiology
 Hong Fang Ph.D., Microbial Novoteqs works to develop and utilize more
 economic and efficient technologies for the discovery of drugs to fight
 global infectious diseases. The company, which is being awarded a
 three-year grant from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) estimated at
 over $1 million, plans to add two senior scientists devoted to research
 efforts supported by the grant.
     The NIH grant will fund study of the development of protease inhibitors
 to block the enzymes that infectious diseases need to replicate and infect
 new cells. Similar research has resulted in the development of protease
 inhibitor drugs that, taken in combination with other drugs, have helped
 reduce the number of HIV patients who became ill from opportunistic
 infections by nearly 70 percent. Other infectious diseases which the
 company's research will target include Dengue fever, Hepatitis A, Japanese
 encephalitis, Norwalk virus, SARS, West Nile virus and Yellow fever.
     "This is a very exciting time for our company," said Dr. Fang, who
 serves as president and chief executive officer of Microbial Novoteqs. "Our
 research strategy has the potential to dramatically decrease time and
 reduce costs between drug discovery and patient use. CET's ability to
 provide infrastructure support and resources necessary at this stage, as
 well as their experience with the commercialization process, makes them an
 ideal partner for our company."
     The CET Life Sciences Center now provides lab and office space,
 equipment and infrastructure support to seven tenants, including the
 Tennessee Biotechnology Association, which has established its headquarters
 at the center.
     "We are delighted that Microbial Novoteqs has the need for additional
 space at our Life Sciences Center, and will be bringing new jobs to the
 facility," said A.J. Kazimi, CEO of CET and Cumberland Pharmaceuticals.
 "They are an excellent example of the type of tenant our facility was
 created to assist. As they grow and gain momentum, we're pleased we can
 play an integral role in furthering their potentially life-saving
 research."
     Cumberland Emerging Technologies, Inc. (www.cet-fund.com) is a joint
 initiative between Vanderbilt University, Cumberland Pharmaceuticals Inc.
 and the Tennessee Technology Development Corporation. The mission of CET is
 to bring biomedical technologies and products conceived at Vanderbilt and
 other regional research centers to the marketplace. CET helps manage the
 development and commercialization process for select projects, and provides
 expertise on intellectual property, regulatory, manufacturing and marketing
 issues that are critical to successful new biomedical products. CET's Life
 Sciences Center,
     located in Nashville, Tennessee, provides laboratory space, equipment
 and infrastructure to early-stage life sciences companies.
 
 

SOURCE Cumberland Emerging Technologies, Inc.