Alliance Medical (Phoenix), a reprocessor of single-use devices (SUDs), said it signed a two-year agreement with Allina Hospitals & Clinics (Minneapolis). The partnership will enable Allina to reduce its supply costs by at least $4.6 million over the term of the agreement, Alliance said. Allina is Minnesota's largest non-profit network of hospitals, clinics and other healthcare services, and also provides care to patients in Wisconsin.

Aspect Medical Systems (Newton, Massachusetts) reported that it has amended its product development agreement with Boston Scientific (Natick, Massachusetts) to provide a two-year extension to the period during which Boston Sci may exercise an option to distribute sedation management technology for interventional and specialty medical procedure suites. The agreement, originally established in August 2002, supports Aspect's development of BIS monitoring solutions for sedation management during less invasive procedures and provides Boston Scientific with the option to distribute these products. This amendment extends until the end of 2006 Boston Scientific's right to exercise its option and until the end of 2014 the term of its distribution rights.

Aradigm (Hayward, California) has closed on a restructured licensing agreement with Novo Nordisk (Bagsvaerd, Denmark) concerning the ongoing development of the AERx insulin Diabetes Management System (iDMS). Aradigm has transferred assets, building leases and employees associated with AERx iDMS to Novo Nordisk Delivery Technologies, and has received a payment of $55 million before refund of cost advances made by Novo Nordisk under the prior agreement. Aradigm retains ownership of its intellectual property relating to AERx iDMS and will receive a royalty on worldwide sales by Novo Nordisk of the AERX iDMS product.

Bioject Medical Technologies (Bedminster, New Jersey), a developer of needle-free drug delivery systems, has entered into a supply agreement with Chronimed (Minnetonka, Minnesota), a specialty pharmacy company that distributes pharmaceuticals and provides specialized patient management services for people with HIV/AIDS. The agreement calls for the sale of Biojector 2000 (B-2000) needle-free systems and related accessories to Chronimed for distribution to patients who are using Fuzeon, an AIDS drug. Financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

Cardiac Science (Irvine, California), a manufacturer of automated external defibrillators (AEDs), said it has been selected as the exclusive provider of AEDs, AED/ CPR training and AED program management services for a citywide public access defibrillator (PAD) program launched by the city of St. Louis. To initiate the program, about 90 Powerheart AED G3s were purchased from Cardiac Science. St. Louis's PAD program makes it the latest major U.S. city to partner with Cardiac Science, joining San Diego, Minneapolis, Miami and Nashville, Tennessee. The PAD program is being coordinated by the St. Louis Fire Department, which in addition to planning the deployment of AEDs is reaching out to private citizens and organizations through a public awareness campaign on the importance of defibrillation therapy and the use of AEDs to treat victims of sudden cardiac arrest.

Eastman Kodak (Rochester, New York) and Heartlab (Westerly, Rhode Island) have signed a marketing and reseller agreement positioning each company to provide medical imaging and information management tools that facilitate enterprise-wide management of radiology and cardiology data Kodak will market Heartlab's Encompass line of cardiac image and data management solutions along with the Kodak Directview PACS System 5. The agreement also allows Heartlab to market the Kodak system and resell Kodak's Directview Versatile Intelligent Patient Archive software.

Laserscope (San Jose, California), focused on the development and commercialization of medical lasers and advanced fiber-optic devices, said it has signed an exclusive three-year agreement with MD International (Miami) for distribution of the company's GreenLight PVP (Photoselective Vaporization of the Prostate) laser system, PVP disposable fiber optics and full aesthetic laser system line. MD International, a distributor of medical equipment in Latin America and the Caribbean, will be responsible for the distribution, service and clinical support of GreenLight laser products for PVP and aesthetic surgery products throughout those regions.

Stereotaxis (St. Louis) has entered into an agreement with Lake Region Manufacturing for the development and production of magnetically enabled guide wires for use with the Stereotaxis System, a cardiology instrument control system. The agreement provides Stereotaxis with the ability to increase both the availability and the technological sophistication of its guidewires to better meet customer needs, the company said.

Zimmer Holdings (Warsaw, Indiana), a worldwide leader in orthopedics, said it has acquired U.S. distribution rights for the Palacos line of bone cement products manufactured by Heraeus Kulzer (Hanau, Germany), a producer of orthopedic bone cement products and other healthcare technologies. The Palacos line is a market leader in cemented orthopedic surgical procedures, Zimmer said. Under the new distribution agreement, it expects to begin selling Palacos and other Heraeus Kulzer bone cements in 2Q05 and will become the exclusive U.S. distributor for these products in January 2006.