Cepheid said this week that it has named Labsco as a US distribution partner for its GeneXpert Systems and tests.
Under the agreement, Labsco has exclusive US distribution rights to sell Cepheid's products to acute care hospitals with fewer than 150 beds. Cepheid said that the agreement does not include its higher-throughput GeneXpert Infinity System.
Labsco, based in Louisville, Ky., has also received non-exclusive rights to the non-acute care, non-hospital market, which includes surgical centers affiliated with hospitals, independent surgical centers, physicians' offices labs, group practices, and nursing homes.
"There are more than 3,900 US hospitals with less than 150 beds which have not been a primary focus of Cepheid to date," Nico Arnold, executive vice president of worldwide operations for Cepheid, said in a statement. "The decision to engage on a nationwide basis with Labsco is in line with one of our strategic growth objectives directed at expanding our reach within the US market."
Cepheid said that it will continue to focus its direct sales efforts on the approximately 2,100 hospitals that have 150 or more beds.