NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – BD Diagnostics and Lab21 today announced a collaboration to develop a molecular diagnostic test for the detection of the Aspergillus fungus to run on the BD Max Molecular Testing System.
Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed.
BD Diagnostics is a segment of Becton Dickinson, which yesterday announced that its fiscal third-quarter revenues rose 10 percent year over year.
"This agreement with Lab21 is designed to add an innovative molecular test to the BD Max System's growing test menu that will empower clinicians and laboratory professionals with rapid, accurate information on which to base important treatment decisions," Tom Polen, president of BD Diagnostics – Diagnostic Systems, said in a statement. "By collaborating with best-in-class in vitro diagnostics developers such as Lab 21, our goal is to make the BD Max System and indispensible tool in clinical laboratories by providing them with an ever-expanding test menu on a fully automated platform."
In May Lab21 bought fungal MDx firm Myconostica, providing it with, among other products, tests for detecting Aspergillus.
Polen added that BD plans to launch new assays on the BD Max System covering a "broad range" of diseases. Today's announcement brings the total number of assays in the pipeline for the system to more than 14.