A Diagnostics & Imaging Week

Lumera (Bothell, Washington), focused on nanotechnology, reported extending its collaboration with the Institute for Systems Biology (ISB; Seattle) with the goal of using Lumera’s ProteomicProcessor to identify biomarkers associated with drug toxicity and cancer.

As previously reported, ISB researchers have demonstrated a label-free assay to determine protein expression patterns using a panel of specific antibodies printed on Lumera’s NanoCapture-Gold microarray and analyzed on the company’s ProteomicProcessor instrument system.

“We are quite pleased with the progress of the past year,” said Dr. Leroy Hood, ISB president. “Lumera’s platform provides unique advantages in biomarker discovery and we are committed to moving the science forward.”

“Early results from ISB have been proof positive that our technology adds significant value to the biomarker discovery market. We feel that with a continued emphasis on this project, we will arrive at a very important publication and will establish methods by which others will be able to develop their own assays,” said Dr. Timothy Londergan of Lumera’s Bioscience Business unit.

Lumera cited information from market research firm Business Insights which says biomarker screening has been an increasing area of research growing from $5.4 billion in 2005 to an estimated $21 billion by 2012 according to Business Insights, a market research firm, Lumera said.

Analogic (Peabody, Massachusetts) and CAS Medical Systems (Branford, Connecticut) have signed an agreement granting worldwide exclusive rights to CAS Medical to market and sell Analogic’s Lifegard family of non-invasive patient monitors. The monitors will be co-branded with both the CAS Medical and Analogic names and both companies intend to work together to develop additional monitors for the growing Lifegard family and for other speciality niche markets, they noted.

The Lifegard family includes what Analogic describes as “the highly portable, versatile” Lifegard I vital signs monitor targeting low-acuity areas; the “powerful” Lifegard II that measures ECG, HR, SpO₂, NIBP, temperature, respiration, end-tidal CO₂, and optional non-invasive cardiac output via Impedance Cardiography (ICG); the Lifegard ICG, a compact, stand-alone, non-invasive cardiac output and hemodynamic status monitor; and the Lifegard Vue Central Nurses’ Station.

The Lifegard family also includes the Fetalgard Lite fetal monitor, and the Fetalgard Lite — NIBP designed to measure maternal non-invasive blood pressure for monitoring Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension (PIH).

Andrew Kersey, president/CEO of CAS Medical, said the agreement will allow both companies to be able to “more successfully address the changing needs of the sub-acute care and specialty patient monitoring markets.”

Dan Webster, general manager of Analogic’s Life Care Systems division, said the agreement allows the Lifegard family of non-invasive patient monitors to reach a broader market worldwide.

In other agreements:

• Gen-Probe (San Diego) reported Tuesday at the BIO 2007 International Convention in Boston that Millipore (Billerica, Massachusetts) would market and sell its Mycoplasma Tissue Culture Non-Isotopic (MTC-NI) test to its biopharmaceutical customers.

The MTC-NI test was developed by Gen-Probe and is already on the market. Millipore’s global sales organization will sell the MTC-NI assay until the new sample preparation products and higher sensitivity assays that are being developed by the two companies are launched. According to the companies, the MTC-NI assay is an easy-to-use DNA probe-based system that can be combined with Millipore’s sample preparation products and application knowledge to quickly and cost-effectively detect mycoplasma.

Millipore and Gen-Probe formed a pact in August 2005 to create faster, more accurate tests for bacteria, viruses, mycoplasma and other contaminants commonly found in biopharmaceuticals. These new assays are expected to dramatically increase the sensitivity and reduce the time-to-result compared to traditional culture-based tests. The first assay from the collaboration is expected to launch this year and the two companies are also in the process of developing additional assays for other bacteria and mycoplasma, the company said.

“The expansion of our partnership with Gen-Probe reflects our conviction in the long-term potential for developing faster and more accurate detection of microorganisms in biopharmaceutical production,” said Jean-Paul Mangeolle, president of Millipore’s Bioprocess division. “As we are developing these new assays, it is extremely valuable to have the ability to sell Gen-Probe’s MTC-NI tests to many of the same customers who we believe will eventually purchase the new tests we are developing. We are now able to package MTC-NI tests with our mycoplasma clearance products to meet customers’ immediate needs, while strengthening relationships and gaining feedback that will help us to develop and sell our next-generation MilliProbe nucleic acid tests.”

Lynda Merrill, Gen-Probe’s VP of Industrial Relationships, said the company believes the agreement will “drive sales of our existing MTC-NI product while also paving the way for adoption of the more rapid and sensitive next-generation products.”

Millipore provides products and services intended to improve productivity and results in biopharmaceutical manufacturing and in clinical, analytical and research laboratories.

Gen-Probe makes rapid, accurate and cost-effective nucleic acid tests (NATs) that are used primarily to diagnose human diseases and screen donated human blood.

• Royal Philips Electronics (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) and healthcare IT provider Misys Healthcare Systems (Raleigh, North Carolina) said they will join forces to develop an integrated software platform that enables homecare agencies to provide care to chronically ill patients, while achieving operational efficiencies in monitoring and managing their patients.

The companies will combine Philips’ experience in telehealth and remote patient monitoring with Misys’ expertise in clinical and business software for U.S. homecare. They offer integration of vital signs data and health status information into the patient record, providing a comprehensive clinical review application than currently available. The goal is to provide a solution that helps homecare agencies reduce hospital readmissions and healthcare costs associated with chronic disease.

“Telemonitoring, in conjunction with early intervention and self-care education, can extend the reach of care and improve patients’ quality of life,” said Mike Lemnitzer, senior director, Philips Consumer Healthcare Solutions. “Studies have shown that remote monitoring can lead to significant reductions in unnecessary readmissions and emergency hospitalizations, helping ease the burden of rising healthcare costs due to chronic disease.”

“Misys is focused on providing cost-effective solutions for the home healthcare market. By providing a better way to monitor and manage home-bound patients and schedule clinical staff, we can help homecare agencies improve both productivity and patient care,” said Jeneane Brian, clinical strategy executive for Misys.

Philips and Misys will also be co-marketing their existing products in the homecare market, Philips remote patient monitoring and Misys Homecare integrated clinical solution.