BioMerieux to develop new prostate cancer test

BioMerieux has signed an agreement with German biotechnology firm ProteoSys for Annexin 3, which it will use to develop a urine-based, confirmatory diagnostic test for prostate cancer.

Following a research phase, the new test should be developed on the company’s Vidas platform, it states.

"We are very pleased to work with ProteoSys to bring such an innovative biomarker to urologists around the world. This agreement is yet another building block in our high medical value test strategy," comments Stephane Bancel, chief executive of BioMerieux.

Andre Schrattenholz, chief scientific officer at ProteoSys, adds it was an "obvious choice" to partner with BioMerieux due to the company’s strategic focus on oncology, its extensive commercial network and the market leadership of its Vida platform.

Earlier this month, BioMerieux announced the acquisition of San Diego, California-based molecular diagnostics form AviaraDx.

It described the purchase as a "major milestone" in its long-term strategy for growth.