• Arrhythmia Research Technology (ART; Fitchburg, Massachusetts) reported that its wholly owned subsidiary, Micron Products (Fitchburg), entered into a three-year supply agreement with the Molecular Diagnostics division of Osmetech (Roswell, Georgia). Micron, through its New England Molders division, will provide manufacturing services for consumables components used in Osmetech’s Opti Tube and Opti Gene product lines. The Opti Tube product line consists of patented plastic tubes with ergonomic sealing caps and carousel which have been designed as a replacement for the glass capillaries which are used in the Roche LightCycler. Opti Tube designed to reduce glass breakage and lab exposure to dangerous samples and glass shards. ART, through Micron, makes silver plated and non-silver plated conductive resin sensors and distributes metal snaps used in the manufacture of disposable ECG, EEG, EMS and TENS electrodes.

• ev3 (Plymouth, Minnesota), a developer of catheter-based technologies for the endovascular treatment of vascular disorders, and FoxHollow Technologies (Redwood City, California) will conduct a joint clinical study of FoxHollow’s calcium cutting device, The RockHawk, and ev3’s SpideRX endovascular devices targeting approval for the treatment of calcified lesions in peripheral artery disease. FoxHollow will have the exclusive right to market the two devices together in the U.S. The SpideRX is the only available embolic protection device that permits physicians to use their guidewire of choice to access the target lesion, and also is cleared by the FDA for use in both carotid arteries and saphenous vein grafts, ev3 said. The RockHawk, under development, is a version of FoxHollow’s SilverHawk Plaque Excision System, optimized for the treatment of calcified lesions in the peripheral arteries.

• Illumina (San Diego) and the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota) have signed an agreement to co-develop molecular tests for the study of complex diseases. Illumina will contribute its VeraCode technology and development expertise for the BeadArray and BeadXpress instrument platforms. Mayo will provide its knowledge in clinical practice and patient outcome management, along with proficiency in establishing clinical utility of new diagnostic technologies. The goal is to implement new clinical tests within Mayo’s clinical practice and Mayo Medical Laboratories. Additionally, Illumina will manufacture and market tests worldwide on its BeadArray and upcoming BeadXpress Reader.

• Milestone Scientific (Livingston, New Jersey), a developer of injection technologies, and Henry Schein (Melville, New York) a provider of healthcare products and services to office-based practitioners in the combined North American and European markets, have signed an agreement granting Henry Schein exclusive distribution rights to market Milestone’s Single Tooth Anesthesia system and other products to dental professionals in the U.S. and Canada. Milestone’s STA system is designed to allow dentists to immediately administer the periodontal ligament injection, to anesthetize a single tooth, without first administering a mandibular block that anesthetizes an entire quadrant of the jaw.

• NxStage Medical (Lawrence, Massachusetts) signed long-term agreements with two existing suppliers to secure supply to meet demand for its NxStage System One portable kidney dialysis system. The first agreement calls for Medisystems (Seattle) to continue providing disposable cartridges for the next seven years. Membrana (Wuppertal, Germany), a subsidiary of Polypore (Charlotte, North Carolina), will continue to supply PUREMA capillary membrane for filters used with the NxStage System One over a 10-year period. The NxStage System One is the first portable hemodialysis system cleared for home use by the FDA.

• Royal Philips Electronics (Amsterdam, the Netherlands) and Biosense Webster (Diamond Bar, California) have signed an agreement to co-develop integrated products intended to simplify complex procedures to diagnose and treat irregular heartbeats, also known as arrhythmias. This strategic alliance will enable the creation of an interface that connects Biosense Webster’s Carto Mapping and Navigation System with Philips’ integrated Allura Xper electrophysiology (EP) Lab System, as well as with Philips’ Xcelera Cardiovascular Information Solution. The interface between the Carto System and Allura Xper Integrated EP Lab can help reduce the amount of time required to setup and perform complex electrophysiology (EP) ablation procedures, the company said.

• Schering-Plough (Kenilworth, New Jersey) and OraSure Technologies (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania) reported a collaboration for the development and promotion of a rapid oral test for the detection of antibodies to the hepatitis C virus (HCV) utilizing OraSure Technologies’ OraQuick technology platform. Schering-Plough will reimburse OraSure for a portion of the costs incurred by OraSure to develop the rapid oral HCV test and will provide promotional support in the physicians’ office market in the U.S. All sales of the HCV test will be made by OraSure.