NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – BD Diagnostics and Diagenode today said that they will co-develop seven diagnostic assays on the BD Max System for pathogens associated with respiratory, enteric, and central nervous system diseases.
Under the terms of the agreement, Belgian biotech firm Diagenode will develop the CE-marked assays for BD's molecular diagnostics system, using its open system capability. The seven assays will include a panel for diagnosing respiratory infections, two panels for the diagnosis of virus- and parasite-based gastrointestinal infections, and a panel for differentially diagnosing meningitis.
Information about the remaining three panels was not disclosed.
BD will integrate the in vitro diagnostic assays onto the BD Max platform and ultimately be responsible for manufacturing and commercializing the tests worldwide. BD also plans to bring new assays to the BD Max System in a broad range of disease areas, it said.
BD Diagnostics is a segment of Becton Dickinson.
Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed.
According to Tom Polen, president of BD Diagnostics, the agreement with Diagenode is the first milestone in BD's strategy to make the BD Max System "an indispensible clinical laboratory tool."