Arrangement spans 10 years and replaces previous five-year agreement.

Abaxis and BD have inked a new 10-year agreement in which Abaxis will supply its Orbos Discrete Lyophilization Process to BD. The deal takes effect immediately and replaces a previous and expiring five-year agreement. Abaxis has been a supplier to BD since 1994. The new contract has an estimated value, based on current demand, of $30 million over the life of the contract.

Abaxis uses the Orbos Discrete Lyophilization Process to produce dry reagents. The process involves flash-freezing a drop of liquid reagent to form a solid bead and then freeze-drying the bead to remove water. The Orbos beads are stable in dry form and dissolve rapidly in aqueous solutions.

The Orbos process has applications in products where delivery of active ingredients in a stable, premetered format is desired. It allows the production of a precise amount of active chemical ingredient in the form of a soluble bead, according to Abaxis.

Abaxis also licenses its Orbos process to bioMerieux, Cepheid, and GE Healthcare. In addition, it has a supply contract with Becton, Dickinson and Company for products using the Orbos process.

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