• Compugen (Tel Aviv, Israel) reported the discovery and experimental confirmation of a combination of four biomarkers for early detection of drug-induced nephrotoxicity. Data demonstrate that the biomarker signature may enable a much earlier prediction of drug-induced kidney toxicity during pre-clinical trials in rats in comparison to traditional diagnostic methods such as histopathology or clinical chemistry. The biomarkers were discovered through the use of Compugen's Nucleic Acid Testing discovery platform. This Platform relies on Compugen's LEADS and MED infrastructure platforms and additional public and proprietary data sources. Various algorithms and statistical and machine learning tools are used for the discovery of novel RNA transcripts that can serve as diagnostic biomarkers. The platform has been designed to allow the discovery of single and multiple combination biomarkers and to be broadly applicable for the discovery of such biomarkers for any organ toxicity and for specific disease biomarker discovery, such as for various epithelial cancers and atherosclerosis. Compugen specializes in discovery platforms.

• Instrumentation Laboratory (IL; Lexington, Massachusetts) said that it has received FDA clearance for the ACL TOP software V3.0.0. This clearance allows IL to market the ACL TOP 500 CTS Hemostasis testing system in the U.S. as a member of the ACL TOP family of analyzers. Featuring the same advanced technology as the other members of the ACL TOP Family, including the successful ACL TOP and ACL TOP CTS systems, the ACL TOP 500 CTS is designed to meet the testing needs of the mid-to-high volume hemostasis laboratories. The ACL TOP 500 CTS combines speed, simplicity and intelligence to meet the varied needs of routine and specialty labs and enable true standardization across the ACL TOP product line. IL makes in vitro diagnostic instruments.

• Invitrogen (Carlsbad, California) reported the availability of a test kit that enables better screening for cardiotoxicity traits of potential drug compounds earlier in the discovery process. The Predictor hERG fluorescence polarization assay kit is the first commercially available non-radioactive, homogenous assay kit for high-throughput screening of compounds interacting with the hERG ion channel. Drug-induced heart dysrhythmias and adverse effects have been linked with blockage of the human ether-a-go-go related gene (hERG) channel. Lethal cardiotoxic side effects of several blockbuster drugs have led to the FDA's requirement that all new small-molecule drug compounds be tested for hERG channel blockage, typically using a technique called electrophysiology patch-clamp analysis. Invitrogen provides life sciences technologies for research, production and diagnostics.

• Mediware Information Systems (Lenexa, Kansas) reported the launch of BiologiCare, a software system designed specifically to track and manage transplantable materials in hospitals, surgery centers, and other healthcare facilities. BiologiCare ensures that donors, tissue vendors and tissue recipients are fully documented and enables these facilities to be fully compliant with current regulations. The need for BiologiCare stems from an increase of transplantation procedures performed in U.S. hospitals. These range from using bone chips and tendons in surgery, to organs, marrow and stem cells in advanced therapies. The number of transplantation cases has topped 10 million and are performed in 50% of U.S. hospitals. Mediware Information Systems makes ClosedLoop clinical systems for blood and medication management.