A Diagnostics & Imaging Week

Home Diagnostics (San Diego), a manufacturer of diabetes self-testing equipment, and iMetrikus (Carlsbad, California), reported a partnership designed to provide users of the TrueTrack Smart System and Prestige IQ blood glucose monitors with the ability to monitor their diabetes online by using MediCompass, a health monitoring software.

As part of the agreement, Home Diagnostics, manufacturer of the TrueTrack Smart System and Prestige IQ, will promote iMetrikus' MediCompass health monitoring system to its customers.

iMetrikus is the developer of the preferred MediCompass Web-based software that enables patients to upload their blood glucose test results and other key health data.

"We are delighted to be teaming with iMetrikus to offer our customers a way to enhance their ability to manage diabetes," said Teri Sasse, RN, and director of professional marketing for Home Diagnostics. "By providing patients with a tool that allows them to analyze blood glucose results and identify patterns, patients are empowered to make informed treatment decisions and take a more active role in monitoring their condition," she added.

The MediCompass program is designed to allow users to upload glucose readings directly from their TrueTrack Smart System blood glucose monitor into a personalized action plan. Individuals can record and edit medications, nutrition plans, physical activities and other health-related information and make the changes necessary to improve control of their diabetes.

Cancer diagnostics firm Clarient (San Juan Capistrano, California) and DakoCytomation (Glostrup, Denmark), a provider of cancer diagnostics and automated testing equipment, said they are developing an agreement under which DakoCytomation will distribute the ChromaVision Automated Cellular Imaging System as an adjunct to the DakoCytomation automated diagnostics equipment suite.

The companies said that with the signing of a definitive agreement they will launch development activities, and DakoCytomation will begin "commercial execution" in September for the sale and distribution of the current Clarient imaging system in North America. It will move to international markets "in the future."

Financial terms of the accord were not disclosed.

The agreement will bring together Clarient's strength in quantitative cellular imaging and analysis with Dako-Cytomation's strength in antibody reagents and automated staining systems.

In a statement, the companies said that the accord comes "at a critical time in the cancer diagnostics marketplace," due to the increasing emphasis on personalized medicine. "With more than 90 targeted therapeutics in Phase III clinical trials and more than 300 in Phase II, the need for advanced diagnostics to direct therapy is going to grow significantly in the next five to 10 years," the statement said, "with the two companies "uniquely qualified to lead the diagnostics industry through this important period."

The intention of the agreement is for DakoCytomation to integrate its automated staining platforms and reagents with Clarient's digital imaging system, providing greater accuracy in the interpretation of clinically important tumor cell characteristics and improved laboratory workflow. DakoCytomation will begin selling the imaging system to its installed base of current customers and to new customers in North America in September 2005.

DakoCytomation says it introduced the first pharmDx cancer diagnostic test, HercepTest, a semi-quantitative immunohistochemical assay used to determine HER2 protein over-expression in breast cancer tissues to help select patients who are most likely to benefit from therapy with Herceptin.

Clarient calls its platform "the only cellular imaging system with broad regulatory clearance as well as specific clearances for HER2, ER and PR.

The companies said they are collaborating on developing advanced image analysis and testing systems and procedures for other tumor markers.