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SAN DIEGO , June 7, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. (OTCBB: SRNE) todayannounced that it has received an Advanced Technology SmallBusiness Technology Transfer Research (STTR) Fast Track grant fromthe National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID),a division of the National Institutes of Health, or NIH. Thepeer-reviewed grant was awarded to support the Company's program togenerate and develop novel human antibody therapeutics to combatStaphylococcus aureus (S. aureus or "Staph") infections, includingmethicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA), by disrupting quorumsensing, a bacterial communication process essential to virulence.The Phase I grant is for $300,000 annually for two years, with the possibility of Phase II fundingof $1 million per year for up to 2 years. "Based on the increasing threat posed by antibiotic-resistantbacteria in hospital settings as well as in our communities, it isgreat to see that the NIH/NIAID is allocating available resourcesto support the development of desperately needed new strategies tocombat these serious infections. We believe our focused andinnovative program to develop antibody therapeutics against MRSAholds great clinical promise because of the high morbidity andmortality caused by this pathogen and the increasingly limitedtreatment options available to clinicians," said Henry Ji , Ph.D., Interim Chief Executive Officer and Chief ScientificOfficer of Sorrento Therapeutics. Sorrento Therapeutics' MRSA program specifically targets theauto-inducing peptides (AIPs) central to the quorum sensing systemof S. aureus that controls bacterial virulence, including toxinproduction. Sequestering these peptides disrupts bacterialcommunication and thus, suppresses Staph virulence. This is thesecond STTR grant awarded to the Company in the field of anti-Staphresearch. The initial Phase I grant award received in 2010 supportsthe development of a Staph vaccine that targets the AIPs. In 2010,the Company obtained an exclusive license to The Scripps Research Institute 's (TSRI) quorum quenching technology, which has provided a strongscientific foundation for the Company's Staph program. "We lookforward to continue working with our colleagues at TSRI, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University ( Virginia Tech ) and Montana State University in developing novel antibody therapeutics against MRSA," added Barbara Swanson , Ph.D., the Principal Investigator on the grant. For 2005, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimatedthat 94,000 serious invasive MRSA infections occurred in the U.S.and more than 19,000 Americans died from these infections - morethan from HIV/AIDS. A recent (2009) study from Duke University Medical Center looking at MRSA infections associated with surgeryfound a 35-fold increased risk of hospital readmission, a 7-foldincreased risk of death, and more than $60,000 of additional charges per patient compared to uninfected controls.IMS Health reported that U.S. sales of antibiotics to treat MRSAexceeded $1 billion in 2007. Although a report from the Government Accounting Officeindicates that no federal agency adequately monitors antibioticresistance or evaluates its social and financial costs, variousestimates place the annual cost to the healthcare system as high as $5 billion . About the Sorrento Therapeutics MRSA Program Sorrento Therapeutics has obtained an exclusive, worldwide licensefrom TSRI to use this novel quorum sensing technology to identifyfully human antibodies for the neutralization of Staph-specificsignaling peptides that control bacterial virulence. A researchgroup at TSRI has shown that sequestering these signaling peptides,which are integral components of a bacterial communication processcalled quorum sensing, results in significantly reduced virulenceof MRSA in both cellular and animal models. The Company believesthe Staph signaling peptide analogs described by TSRI represent aunique opportunity to develop both vaccines and antibody-basedimmunotherapeutics to combat MRSA. About Sorrento Therapeutics Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. is a development-stagebiopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development andcommercialization of novel and proprietary biotherapeutics for thetreatment of a variety of disease conditions, including cancer,inflammation, metabolic and infectious diseases. The Company'sobjective is to either independently or through one or morepartnerships with pharmaceutical or biopharmaceutical organizationsidentify drug development candidates derived from its ownproprietary human antibody libraries. More information is availableat . Information on the Company's website or any other website doesnot constitute a part of this press release. Forward-Looking Statements This press release contains forward-looking statements subject torisks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differmaterially from those projected. Forward-looking statements includestatements about Sorrento Therapeutics' MRSA program and itsprospects, the research and development opportunities presented bythe Company's license agreement with TSRI, Sorrento Therapeutics'potential opportunity to receive funding for the second year ofthis Phase I grant and a Phase II grant for the MRSA program fromthe NAIAD, whether the Company's development of antibodytherapeutics against MSRA holds great clinical promise and theCompany's potential development of human vaccines and antibodytherapeutics. Risks and uncertainties include whether SorrentoTherapeutics will have sufficient resources to develop vaccines andantibody therapeutics and additional risks set forth in SorrentoTherapeutics' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.These forward-looking statements represent Sorrento Therapeutics'judgment as of the date of this release. The Company disclaims,however, any intent or obligation to update these forward-lookingstatements. Acknowledgment of NIH Support The project described was supported by Award Number 1R42AI098182-01from the National Institute of Allergy And Infectious Diseases. Thecontent is solely the responsibility of the authors and does notnecessarily represent the official views of the National Instituteof Allergy and Infectious Diseases or the NIH. SOURCE Sorrento Therapeutics, Inc. Copyright 2010 PR Newswire. All Rights Reserved. We are high quality suppliers, our products such as LED Wall Wash Light , China Projection Night Lights for oversee buyer. 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