A Diagnostics & Imaging Week
Calypte Biomedical (Lake Oswego, Oregon) reported that it has acquired a 51% equity interest in Beijing Marr Bio-Pharmaceutical, a joint-venture enterprise existing under the laws of the People's Republic of China. The remaining 49% equity interest in Beijing Marr is owned by Marr Technologies Asia Limited, an affiliate of Marr Technologies, the company's largest stockholder.
With the purchase, Calypte has acquired rights to manufacturing facilities and other assets for the production of its Aware line of HIV-1/2 rapid test products in China. Calypte said that the j-v has begun the process of renovating the manufacturing facilities to meet the production needs of the Aware HIV-1/2 rapid oral fluid diagnostic test, currently under evaluation by the Chinese State FDA (SFDA).
The j-v also obtained a Chinese Certificate of GMP for Pharmaceutical Products, issued in its name, which must be renewed by June 18, 2006, following the renovations.
The j-v assets include a GMP manufacturing facility located on a site that also contains additional office and warehouse buildings. The j-v acquired these facilities as part of an asset acquisition from Beijing Yaohua Bio-Technology.
The acquisition also includes the rights to 17 diagnostic test products approved by the SFDA, including a rapid HIV-1/2 blood test and other diagnostic tests including various sexually transmitted diseases.
Roger Gale, Calypte's chairman and CEO, stated, "We view this acquisition as a crucial milestone in our global strategy. We have completed clinical trials and submitted our application of the Aware HIV-1/2 rapid oral fluid diagnostic test for approval by the SFDA. We are now well on our way to having the facilities and manufacturing licenses we need to deliver substantive sales in China."
Calypte is focused on the development and commercialization of diagnostic testing products for the detection of sexually transmitted diseases such as the HIV-1 BED Incidence EIA and new diagnostic test products for the rapid detection of HIV, several of which do not require blood samples.
DiaSys inks purchases for Chile
DiaSys (Waterbury, Connecticut) reported signing a three-year distribution agreement with Galenica in Chile guaranteeing a minimum purchase order of $1.01 million for the company's parasitology and urine sediment workstations and consumable products over the three-year period.
Galenica which was founded in 1985, also represents Beckman Coulter (Fullterton, California) and IRIS International (Chatsworth, California).
Jose Puig, sales manager, Latin America, said, "This agreement in Chile provides DiaSys with a strong and growing market presence in Latin America for our parasitology and urine sediment product lines. We will extend our sales initiative throughout the territory during 2006."
DiaSys manufactures and distributes medical laboratory equipment, consumables and infectious disease test kits to healthcare and veterinary laboratories worldwide.
The company operates in Europe through a subsidiary based in Wokingham, England, and through distributors in South America.