Focus is on tests for Europe to detect infections in transplant patients.

BD Diagnostics and Biodiversity will work together on a molecular diagnostic menu for immunocompromised patients based on on the BD Max™ system. Tests will be designed to improve monitoring of infections in transplant patients and will be developed initially for the European market.

Biodiversity will be in charge of developing the assays, which are expected to expand testing capabilities for molecular laboratories with the ability to run many different assays and samples simultaneously. “With molecular testing established as the standard of care for managing transplant patients, the BD Max system will allow testing to be conducted with a standardized and fully automated workflow,” says Giovanni Mantero, CEO, Biodiversity.

Tom Polen, president, BD Diagnostics—Diagnostic Systems, adds, “This collaboration combines the BD Max system’s advanced automation and open system capabilities with Biodiversity’s broad portfolio and track record at bringing to market molecular assays for the management of transplant patients. This will empower laboratories with a new choice to improve the efficiency, accuracy, and speed to diagnose these types of infections.”

The BD Max system for molecular testing uses microfluidics and molecular biology to fully automate nucleic acid extraction and recovery, PCR setup, amplification, and detection. Today’s arrangement is part of BD’s strategy to bring new assays to the BD Max system in a range of diseases. With the agreement with Biodiversity, there are now more than 15 assays in the BD Max system’s pipeline, the firm reports.

BD has been inking agreements to expand the BD Max system, including deals with Lonza, Diagenode, and Lab21. In October 2010, Lonza was brought on through an exclusive licensing and collaboration deal to commercialize the its microCompass™ molecular assays on the BD Max system. The firms are also collaborating on the development and optimization of what they claim will be rapid, automated, and easy-to-use microbial testing solutions that allow “load and walk away” operation.

In May 2011, BD reported a collaboration with in vitro diagnostic specialist Diagenode on the development of seven CE-marked molecular diagnostic tests for BD Max system. Diagenode will lead initial development of the assays including a respiratory panel, two panels for diagnosing virus- and parasite-based gastrointestinal infections, and a panel for the differential diagnosis of meningitis. Additionally, earlier this month BD said it was partnering with Lab21 to develop a molecular diagnostic assay for detecting Aspergillus fungal infections.

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