bioMerieux partners with Hitachi High-Technologies

bioMerieux has entered into a strategic partnership with Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation – making them the preferred partners to develop new microbiology and molecular diagnostic systems.

The new instruments developed under this partnership will be manufactured by Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation and distributed through bioMerieux’s worldwide commercial network.

"bioMerieux’s vision, and a key objective of our 2012 strategy, is to bring full automation to microbiology laboratories around the world," declared Stephane Bancel, chief executive officer of bioMerieux.

"This partnership enables bioMérieux to work with extremely talented engineers from Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation to better serve our customers."

Meanwhile, in other news from bioMerieux, the group posted a 6.9 per cent fall in its 2007 net profit – beating forecasts and enabling the company to raise its 2012 operating target.

Operating profit before non-recurring items rose 11.7 percent to 167 million euros (£128 million).

For 2012, bioMerieux gave a target for operating margin before non-recurring items of between 16 and 17 percent.