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The following is a review of diagnostic product developments worldwide

The information is updated the first week of every month - so ... make this a regular stop in your information gathering activities.

The following information has been compiled from publicly available sources, StratCom does not assume any responsibility for the accuracy or the authenticity of the information and StratCom cannot be held liable for errors.

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Product developments in September 2000

Bayer Diagnostics has licensed the AEGIS (An Expanded Genetic Information System) synthetic DNA base pair technology from EraGen Biosciences. Bayer uses AEGIS in its branched DNA (bDNA) technology for nucleic acid testing.

Beckman Coulter Inc. and Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. have agreed not to renew a distribution pact for the Access immunoassay system in 90 markets in Europe, Africa and the Pacific Rim. Beckman Coulter will hence assume sales responsibility for the system and related test kits in these areas from September 2000. The companies report that the separate research and development partnerships and contract manufacturing pacts were not affected by this decision and will be continued.

Cholestech Corp. has launched its WellCheck Personal Health Management Centers which are planned to be located in retail mass merchandising and pharmacy chains across the U.S. WellCheck is a healthcare management program for consumers, which combines a cholesterol test with an Internet-based health management tools on www.wellcheck.com.

Diagnostic Products Corp. and Minerva Pharmaceuticals Inc. have entered into a license agreement for the development of immunoassays for a newly described malignancy protein. Minerva scientists discovered that altered components of the DNA synthesome are found exclusively in patients with cancer of a variety of types. The test will be developed for DPC's IMMULITE and IMMULITE 2000 immunoassay systems.

Quest Diagnostics Incorporated has begun offering Meretek Incorporated's UBT Breath Test for H. pylori in select markets.

Meridian Diagnostics has made a few changes this month. Meridian has acquired all of the outstanding stock of Viral Antigens Inc. for $9 million cash. Viral Antigens, founded in 1982, manufactures custom and specialty viral reagents for human infectious disease. In addition Epitope, Inc., STC Technologies, Inc., and Meridian have entered into a multi-year, multi-million dollar exclusive agreement to develop point-of-care tests for the rapid detection of parasites, gastrointestinal, and upper respiratory diseases. The tests will use STC's diagnostic label technology - Up-Converting Phosphor Technology - UPT. UPT labels are the heart of UPlink, a point-of-care rapid testing system being developed by STC.

Myriad Genetics, Inc. has launched COLARIS, a predictive medicine test for hereditary colon cancer. COLARIS detects disease-causing mutations in two genes, MLH1 and MSH2, which are responsible for the majority of hereditary colorectal and uterine cancer. The fee for COLARIS is $1,950, and insurance reimbursement is available.

Nanosphere Inc. is commercializing a POC nucleic acid technology developed at Northwestern University. The key to the technology is the discovery by Northwestern chemists of a way to bind gold nanoparticles to genetic probes. Once the probe hybridizes to its DNA target, the gold serves as a beacon that becomes visible when the sample is washed with a solution containing silver, something similar to chemicals used in a darkroom to develop a photograph. The silver binds to the gold nanoparticle to make it appear much larger. The results can be illuminated and seen using a $60 flatbed light scanner. The process is called scanometric DNA array detection. Nanosphere expects to have a commercial product ready in 2002.

Nutribolics, a company that sells nutritional supplements via the Internet, industry, is introducing non-invasive, saliva-based home test kits that allow customers to screen themselves for a variety of nutritional supplements in the privacy of their own home. They then receive the results back from a fully accredited reference laboratory and can thereby determine which supplements will most benefit them.,

Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, Inc. and Immunicon Corporation have agreed to co-commercialization new products for screening, diagnosis, monitoring of therapy and monitoring for disease recurrence in cancer. Immunicon is primarily responsible for product development, bulk reagent supply and manufacture of instrumentation systems and OCD is primarily responsible for product finishing, sales, marketing, distribution and service. Immunicon is a private biomedical products company focused on the development of products for cancer disease management and life science research.

OXIS Wellness Services, a division of OXIS Health Products, Inc., has launched a home-health screening test -- At Home Health Check, which is designed to measure levels of oxidative stress and free radical activity. The test will be available OTC at pharmacies or health food retailers. The consumer simply mails the samples to our certified laboratory, and their confidential results are sent back to them. OXIS plans to introduce several At Home kits this year.

Response Biomedical Corp. has signed an agreement with Ischemia Technologies Inc. to co-develop a rapid diagnostic test to detect ischemia, a clinical condition that precedes a heart attack. The point-of-care test will be developed on Response Biomedical's RAMP rapid diagnostic platform using proprietary antibodies developed by Ischemia Technologies.

D-FWMall.com has developed the "Swift Response" home based test kit for DNA identity testing. The kit has been designed to provide individuals a method of resolving identity issues in the privacy of their own home. The kit contains cotton swabs for collecting buccal cells from the inner lining of the cheek. The swabs are returned to the laboratory by mail with results returned within 7 business days. The cost of the kit is $280 and is available on the company's web page.

ZymeTx Inc. has signed a distribution agreement for ZstatFlu with Dade Behring Inc. The agreement is expected to open direct distribution channel into reference laboratories and hospitals for the flu test.

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* Product developments - July - August 2000
* Product developments - June 2000
* Product developments - May 2000
* Product developments - April 2000
* Product developments - March 2000
* Product developments - Febuary 2000
* Product developments - January 2000
* Product developments - December 1999
* Product developments - November 1999
* Product developments - October 1999
* Product developments - September 1999
* Product developments - August 1999
* Product developments - July 1999
* Product developments - June 1999
* Product developments - May 1999
* Product developments - April 1999
* Product developments - March 1999
* Product developments - Febuary 1999
* Product developments - January 1999
* Product developments - December 1998
* Product developments - November 1998
* Product developments - October 1998
* Product developments - September 1998
* Product developments - August 1998
* Product developments - July 1998
* Product developments - June 1998
* Product developments - May 1998
* Product developments - Avril 1998
* Product developments - March 1998
* Product developments - February 1998
* Product developments - January 1998
* Product developments - July 1997
* Product developments - June 1997
* Product developments - May 1997
* Product developments - April 1997
* Product developments - March 1997
* Product developments - February 1997
* Product developments - January 1997
* Product developments - December 1996
* Product developments - November 1996
* Product developments - October 1996
* Product developments - September 1996
* Product developments - August 1996
* Product developments - July 1996
* Product developments - June 1996

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Last modified: October 02, 2000