The National University of Ireland-Galway signed a collection of agreements with Beckman Coulter, a California-based maker of diagnostic testing systems, for university IP that will enable development of infectious disease tests to be offered with the company’s future molecular diagnostic instrument. The agreements also commit the university to help direct continuing research. The company expects the technology to help get its in-development high-speed diagnostics product into the market. “With these agreements, we will take a big step toward the launch of our ’sample-to-result’ molecular diagnostic system, including a differentiated menu of moderately complex tests that address urgent clinical decisions,” commented Mike Whelan, group vice president of Beckman Coulter’s High Sensitivity Testing Group. Tests to be developed under the agreements include assays for infectious diseases such as sepsis, hospital-acquired infections, and sexually transmitted diseases. The deal foreshadows what Whelan called “the next generation” of molecular diagnostics technology. “Our goal is that our simplified, automated solution will allow these time-consuming, complex, and labor-intensive tests to migrate into the routine hospital lab. So physicians will get diagnostic information within hours, instead of days or weeks, and be able to begin treating patients much sooner.” Go to: CNN Money

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