A Medical Device Daily

Beckman Coulter (Fullerton, California) reported that it has signed new sole source agreements with Adventist Health (Roseville, California) to provide a broad range of core laboratory systems and supplies valued at about $36 million over six years.

Under terms of the new six-year agreements, Adventist Health hospital laboratories will continue to purchase hematology products from Beckman Coulter, and will add the company's complete line of automated chemistry and immunoassay analyzers and reagents to their owned, leased and managed facilities. An expanding group of more than 38 acute-care affiliate organizations will also be able to purchase systems under the contract.

In making the decision, Adventist Health cited Beckman Coulter's ability to deliver cutting-edge technologies that can help their physicians deliver prompt and effective patient care. Lowell Church, assistant vice president, said, "We are constantly striving to enhance quality care, increase patient safety and improve outcomes, in addition to controlling costs. Beckman Coulter has the same vision and goals and we look forward to collaborating with them."

David Bespalko, corporate VP of sales in North America for Beckman Coulter, said, "These agreements are a great opportunity to continue to demonstrate our commitment to improving patient health and reducing the cost of care. Our innovative systems simplify and automate laboratory processes, helping to improve the efficiency of our laboratory partners."

In other agreements/contracts news:

International remote medical care provider MedAire (Tempe, Arizona) said that it has renewed its contract with Boeing Business Jets (Bloomfield Hills, Michigan) to supply life-saving medical services and equipment onboard each BBJ Boeing delivers. In addition, Boeing has agreed to extend this service to include 747-8 VIP and 787 VIP models.

Since 1998, every new BBJ has been delivered with MedAire's medical safety services and equipment, including MedAire's MedLink 24-hour emergency medical hotline, Global Travel Watch, management of in-flight illness and injury training, and aircraft first aid kits.

Also, MedAire is now offering an expanded portfolio of global medical and travel services, including International SOS (London) assistance services to its clients in the air, at sea and ashore.

• Derma Sciences (Princeton, New Jersey) said that it has secured two additional licenses to manufacture character bandages. The three-year licenses for use within the growing segment of printed bandages allows for distribution of private label products into the main channels including mass market stores, drug store chains, supermarket chains and the medical market.

• DiaGenic (Oslo, Norway) reported that it has signed a service provider agreement with DNAVision for gene expression-based diagnostic testing and services With this laboratory service and following CE marking scheduled in early2009, DiaGenic will be able to offer healthcare providers and patients in Europe its blood-based gene-expression diagnostic test for early detection of breast cancer and Alzheimer's disease in a CLIA/ISO17025 certified environment.

"This agreement with DNAVision will provide us with the ideal launch platform across Europe for our blood-based tests for early detection of breast cancer and Alzheimer's disease," said DiaGenic CEO Erik Christensen, MD, PhD. "We are currently introducing the breast cancer test in India. The key advantages of our tests are the ease of sample collection and the ability to detect the earliest signs of disease. However, quality control is equally important in generating provider and patient confidence. We therefore regard DNAVision as an ideal partner since their testing facilities for molecular diagnostics comply with the most advanced quality standards in Europe."

• Premier Purchasing Partners (San Diego) reported new agreements in two categories – neonatal developmental products with Children's Medical Ventures (Monroeville, Pennsylvania) and Hawaii Medical (Pembroke, Massachusetts), a small business enterprise; and neonatal specialty products with Covidien (Mansfield, Massachusetts), and Utah Medical (Midvale, Utah), a small business enterprise.

Effective Nov. 1, the 36-month agreements are available to acute and continuum of care members of the Premier healthcare alliance.