• Agilent Technologies (Santa Clara, California) and Signature Genomic Laboratories (Signature; Washington) reported signing a long-term supply agreement in which Agilent will supply custom oligonucleotide microarrays to Signature and its customers based on the Signature-designed SignatureChip Oligo Solution (SignatureChipOS). Terms of the agreement were not disclosed. The SignatureChipOS is designed for the detection of chromosome abnormalities in individuals with mental retardation/developmental delay, autism and congenital anomalies. The 105,000-feature, 60-mer microarray covers more than 150 syndromes, the subtelomeric and pericentromeric regions, and more than 500 genes in important developmental pathways. Signature Genomic Laboratories, founded in 2003, said it was the first laboratory to provide microarray-based cytogenetic diagnostics with its proprietary SignatureChip and is the leader in providing microarray-based chromosome analysis.

• bioMérieux (BIM; Paris), a developer of in vitro diagnostics, and the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND; Geneva, Switzerland), a non-profit foundation, have signed a memorandum of understanding to undertake development projects in infectious disease diagnostics. Over the course of four-years, the organizations will bring together their know-how and expertise in the development of new, more rapid diagnostic tests and work to strengthen laboratory infrastructures for the public health sector in high-burden countries.

• Del Global Technologies (Franklin Park, Illinois) reported a three-year agreement with Vision Imaging Partners (Cherry Hill, New Jersey) to distribute Del Global's digital and general radiographic imaging equipment for the medical, chiropractic and veterinary markets. Joseph Flies, VP of operations for the Del Global Medical Systems Group, said, "With the Vision agreement, smaller buyers will enjoy the purchasing power that large medical center cooperatives and acute care hospital networks have."

• Kinetic Concepts (KCI; San Antonio) reported a three-year agreement with The MED Group (Lubbock, Texas), a national network of home medical equipment (HME), respiratory and mobility companies. MED Group, with more than 340 member companies and more than 1,000 operating locations, will be KCI's preferred HME provider network manager offering access to KCI's therapeutic support systems, including AtmosAir and First Step TriCell.

• Pall (East Hills, New York) and VWR International (West Chester, Pennsylvania) reported a renewal of their master distributor supply agreement for the sales and promotion of Pall's filtration technologies to VWR customers in the U.S., Canada, Puerto Rico and Europe.

• Premier Purchasing Partners (Charlotte, North Carolina) reported a variety of new awards. It awarded a group buy to GE Healthcare (Waukesha, Wisconsin) for diagnostic imaging products and point-of-sale service agreements, including CT, MRI, cardiovascular imaging, molecular imaging, ultrasound, general X-ray, and bone densitometry. The group buy program is available to acute and continuum of care members of the Premier healthcare alliance through June 29. Premier also awarded agreements for electronic thermometry to TruTek (Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania) and Welch Allyn (Skaneateles Falls, New York). The 36-month agreements are available to both acute-care and continuum-of-care markets.

• Siemens Healthcare (Mountain View, California) reported extending its alliance with Biosense Webster (Diamond Bar, California) by opening the Acuson AcuNav ultrasound catheter standard for use on third party ultrasound systems. In 2006, the companies reported an agreement giving Biosense the exclusive worldwide rights to distribute Siemens' Acuson AcuNav ultrasound catheters, as well as a co-development of the technology in the future. The Acuson AcuNav provides electrophysiologists and interventional cardiologists with real-time diagnostic ultrasound images and Doppler blood flow information from within the heart. Siemens Healthcare also reported entering a non-exclusive agreement with Laboratory Corporation of America (LabCorp; Burlington, North Carolina) to discuss possibilities to co-develop new clinical diagnostic tests in the areas of companion diagnostics, metabolic syndrome, oncology and diabetes. Companion diagnostics are tests designed to identify the suitability between patients and a particular drug therapy and can be used in personalized medicine to improve safety and efficacy of therapeutic drugs and help determine optimal dosing for individual patients.

• SomaLogic (Boulder, Colorado) reported a collaboration for Otsuka Pharmaceutical (Tokyo) to use its aptamer technology to develop diagnostic products and to design research tools that will enhance its pharma R&D. SomaLogic will receive research funding and a royalty on any marketed products developed as a result. Otsuka received an option to acquire distribution rights in Asia for certain SomaLogic clinical diagnostics products, and SomaLogic received an equity investment from Otsuka.