NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – PerkinElmer has won a contract with the Minnesota Department of Health to perform mass spectrometry-based newborn screening.
Under the terms of the contract, PerkinElmer will conduct tandem mass spec testing for 42 of 56 conditions screened for in newborns in the state, a spokesman for the health department told GenomeWeb Daily News. Minnesota had previously contracted with the Mayo Clinic for the services.
Waltham, Mass.-based PerkinElmer also will perform, when necessary, secondary screening for congenital adrenal hyperplasia. The state performs primary screening for the condition.
"If our first test result is abnormal (positive), we ask that PerkinElmer … do a second test to see if it is truly positive before calling it out," the spokesman said.
The contract took effect on Jan. 1, 2014 and originally was to last until May 1, 2014. Last week, the parties extended it until Dec. 31, 2015 with an option for further extension.
Under the terms of the contract, Minnesota will pay PerkinElmer $10 per specimen screened. The state said that it anticipates the company will receive 70,000 screens per year.
PerkinElmer did not respond to requests for comment.