• Cardinal Health (Dublin Ohio) reported an exclusive, four-year distribution agreement with HemCon Medical Technologies (Portland, Oregon) to provide its new line of hemorrhage control bandages to hospitals, surgery centers and physician offices in the U.S. HemCon said it recently reengineered its bandages to meet the specific needs of civilian trauma and emergency medicine. Using Chitosan, an extract from shrimp shells, the HemCon Bandage controls moderate to severe external bleeding within minutes of being applied directly to moderate- or high-pressure, high-flow external bleeds. It aggressively adheres to the site when it contacts blood or moisture. This adhesive-like action forms a strong, flexible barrier that seals and stabilizes the wound. The companies said that by directly controlling blood loss, even in the case of severed arterial bleeds, HemCon Bandages reduce the need for transfusions and provide critical time to administer care (up to 48 hours from the point of placement). The new bandages, which control severe arterial bleeding, are thinner, more flexible and sized differently than the original HemCon military bandage. The technology used in the bandages is particularly useful in hospital settings, because it allows providers to standardize one hemorrhage control solution across multiple disciplines, according to the company. The bandage have a three-year shelf life and are latex-free. The sizes chosen were selected because addressing the types of wounds seen in civilian emergency and trauma cases such as lacerations, knife injuries, motor vehicle accidents and gun shot wounds HemCon Bandages also are useful in cardiac catheterization and interventional radiology settings.

• Illumina (San Diego) reported a collaboration with the Institute of Translational Medicine and Therapeutics (ITMAT) at the University of Pennsylvania (Philadelphia), the Broad Institute and the Candidate-gene Association REsource Consortium (CARe) of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute to develop a customized chip for vascular disease. Called the IBC (ITMAT, Broad, CARe) chip, this array will be developed to analyze more than 55,000 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in candidate genes selected for cardiovascular and other associated phenotypes. Using Illumina’s iSelect Custom Genotyping BeadChip, researchers will assess the genetic diversity within pathways of about 2,100 genes believed to underpin vascular disease processes, such as blood pressure, myocardial infarction, heart failure, stroke, insulin resistance, metabolic disorders, dyslipidemia (changes in lipid levels in the blood), and inflammation. At the study’s completion, more than 120,000 samples from large population studies and clinical trials will be analyzed for genetic links to vascular disease.

•Scivanta Medical (Spring Lake, New Jersey) reported that it has entered into development agreements with Ethox International (Buffalo, New York) regarding the Hickey Cardiac Monitoring System (HCMS). Ethox will provide Scivanta engineering and development support for the catheter component of the HCMS in exchange for the rights to manufacture the component upon regulatory approval and commercialization of the HCMS. Manufacturing terms will be subject to a supply agreement, which will be entered into by Scivanta and Ethox upon regulatory approval of the HCMS, the companies said. Scivanta says it is focused on acquiring and developing medical technologies and products which offer advantages over available medical procedures and treatments. The company has acquired the exclusive worldwide rights to develop the Hickey Cardiac Monitoring System, a minimally-invasive two-balloon esophageal catheter system used to monitor cardiac performance. The HCMS is expected to provide the primary measurements of cardiac performance outside the intensive care setting, the company said.

• Third Wave Technologies (Madison, Wisconsin) reported signing a pharmacogentics collaboration with Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (LabCorp; Burlington, North Carolina) to develop a companion diagnostic to help physicians personalize treatment for heart failure patients. The test is being developed with Third wave’s Invader chemistry in conjunction with the prescription of bucindolol, a next-generation beta blocker being developed by ARCA Discovery (Denver, Colorado). The companies said there is extensive Phase III efficacy and safety data of bucindolol in heart failure patients, including genetic data that ARCA will use to seek FDA approval in 2008 to target the patients most likely to respond. ARCA has exclusive, worldwide rights to bucindolol. LabCorp in February reported that it had acquired exclusive rights to develop and commercialize a companion diagnostic for bucindolol. Third Wave will collaborate with LabCorp on the development of the diagnostic in parallel with the drug’s approval process. The test identifies common genetic variations of the alpha-2c and the beta-1 adrenergic receptors that regulate the human heart. Third Wave develops molecular diagnostic reagents for DNA and RNA analysis applications.