Diagnostics & Imaging Week
and D&IWs

Building on its installed base for point-of-care immunoassays, bioMérieux (Marcy l’Etoile, France) reported the European launch of a test using its VIDAS emergency panel that helps the diagnosis and prognosis of heart failure.

The U.S. launch is expected to follow in six months pending FDA 510(k) clearance.

A CE-marked test developed through a licensing agreement with Roche Diagnostics (Basel, Switzerland), the N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a quantitative marker of heart stress providing diagnostic information to help distinguish congestive heart failure from other disease states with similar clinical symptoms, such as lung disease or pulmonary embolism.

NT-proBNP also can be used to assess the prognosis of patients with established heart failure or acute coronary syndrome, and according to bioMérieux, it also has the potential to detect early stages of heart failure in the absence of clinically obvious symptoms.

BNP is secreted by the left ventricle when the heart is unable to pump blood efficiently, as in the case of a heart failure. The bioMérieux-Roche test is cleaved from the precursor protein proBNP in quantities directly proportional to its biologically active counterpart BNP and in close correlation with the severity of heart failure.

Citing a Canadian study for routine assessment of emergency department patients with dyspnea that reported a reduction in direct medical costs of 15% or $949 per patient, bioMérieux said its NT-proBNP measurement could lead to important healthcare cost-savings.

Heart failure is the leading cause of hospitalization in people over 65 years of age, affecting up to 17 million people worldwide, and has become a major healthcare cost issue expected to continue to rise in the coming years due to the worldwide aging population and increased survival rate from acute coronary events.

In April 2005, Roche granted a nonexclusive license agreement to bioMérieux relating to the development, manufacturing and marketing of immunoassays linked to the BNP biomarker.

This is the third launch of a VIDAS menu extension year-to-date, according to bioMérieux CEO Stéphane Bancel. The VIDAS franchise figures prominently in bioMérieux’s strategy, saying it hopes to leverage the installed base of 20,000 units to boost growth.

In June 2007 bioMérieux reported immunnoassay revenues for the first half of 2007 were up only 1% at 1143 million ($202 million), and the company reported a slow take-up of VIDAS routine tests.

In 2006, bioMérieux revenues reached 11 billion ($1.41 billion) with 83% of sales generated outside of France.

Misonix to distribute SIAD’s SonicOne

Misonix (Farmingdale, New York), a developer of ultrasonic technology for the treatment of cancer and other chronic health conditions, has entered into a distribution agreement with SIAD Healthcare (Milan, Italy) for its SonicOne Ultrasonic Wound Care System in Italy. SIAD has agreed to minimum purchase order provisions for the SonicOne for three years, which began Sept. 30.

SIAD will provide promotional activities within Italy that include the development of collateral marketing material, participation in trade shows and presentation of clinical papers. The agreement represents an expanded relationship between Misonix and SIAD, as the distributor has been marketing Misonix’s neuroaspirator in Italy since 2004, the companies noted.

The SonicOne is designed to allow healthcare practitioners to remove necrotic tissue, biofilm, and other impediments to successful wound healing. Treatment with the SonicOne enables the creation of a wound bed of receptive tissue to accept current and future bio-active therapies, which is particularly important for the treatment of chronic wounds.

Misonix makes ultrasonic devices and laboratory equipment.

New Austrian hospital buys Elekta systems

Elekta (Stockholm, Sweden) reported signing an agreement with Vöcklabruck Hospital in Austria that includes supplying a new oncology department with fully digital image-guided radiation treatment systems, as well as software for networking, information management and treatment planning.

The hospital also will use Mosaic electronic medical records developed by Impac Medical Systems, patient fixation and positioning technology developed by Medical Intelligence and treatment planning software from 3D Line. All three companies are part of the Elekta Group.

Elekta will also assume responsibility for service and support for a period of 10 years.