Life Technologies to Distribute Quidel's Molecular Diagnostics in Europe

Life Technologies will distribute and commercialize Quidel’s current and future molecular diagnostic assays in Europe. Beginning in October Life Technologies provide the Quidel® Molecular Influenza A+B Real-Time RT-PCR Assay and hMPV (human metapneumovirus) kits. Both kits are for use with Life Technologies' 7500 family PCR Instruments.

Both products are CE-marked: the hMPV kit received the sanction yesterday and the influenza kit last month. The kits have improved workflow by allowing for refrigerated storage rather than freezer storage, one-step reagent setup, and fast qPCR cycling resulting in answers 75 minutes after sample preparation, according to Life Technologies. Quidel says that its influenza kit was more sensitive and specific than the comparator assay in a trial with more than 600 samples.

Later this year, Life Technologies and Quidel plan to launch additional infectious disease kits in the European market. "About 10% of Life Technologies' current revenues derive from molecular diagnostics," states Kim Caple, head of molecular diagnostics. "We expect that percentage to grow significantly in the next several years as we expand our presence in the diagnostics arena."