B·R·A·H·M·S AG and bioMérieux SA sign a non-exclusive agreement on the use of Procalcitonin

B·R·A·H·M·S AG and bioMérieux SA sign a non-exclusive agreement on the use of Procalcitonin

Marcy l'Etoile, France - March 1, 2005. B·R·A·H·M·S AG and bioMérieux SA have announced the signature of a non-exclusive agreement on the use of Procalcitonin as a diagnostic marker for severe bacterial infections.
 

Through this global agreement, B·R·A·H·M·S authorizes bioMérieux to develop, produce and market a quantitative Procalcitonin assay test on VIDAS immunoassay systems.

In recent years, Procalcitonin has been recognized as a sensitive and specific marker which assists doctors in the early detection and therapy monitoring of severe bacterial infections. In a recent study conducted in a hospital emergency department (1), the Procalcitonin test was successfully used for the therapy management of patients with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI). In the study, it could be shown that the consumption of antibiotics was significantly reduced by 47% using Procalcitonin to identify infections with bacterial etiology and thereby supporting the decision of the doctors to start antibiotic treatment.

“The new VIDAS BRAHMS Procalcitonin test should complete and create a significant combined action in our infectious disease range. It is a key stage in the development of our specialized biological management range strategy for emergency departments" states Benoît Adelus, Executive Vice President of bioMérieux.

Procalcitonin is one of the tools likely to improve the care and treatment of severe bacterial infections (sepsis). Sepsis is a major healthcare problem. In the United States, it is estimated that 750,000 patients are concerned by severe sepsis every year (2). The cost of the care for these patients was estimated at almost 17 billion dollars in 2001.

"At the present time, Procalcitonin is routinely used in numerous European Hospitals” states Herbert Sucka, Chief Marketing Officer of B·R·A·H·M·S. “With this agreement we will strongly exceed the global availability of Procalcitonin particularly to hospitals in the USA where we just received the final FDA clearance for our test B·R·A·H·M·S PCT LIA”.

(1.) Effect of procalcitonin-guided treatment on antibiotic use and outcome in lower respiratory tract infections : cluster-randomised, single-blinded intervention trial. Christ-Crain M. et coll. Lancet. 2004 ;363:600-7.
(2.) Angus DC, Linde-Zwirble WT, Lidicker J, Clermont G, Carcilio J, Pinsky MR. Epidemiology of severe sepsis in the United States: analysis of incidence, outcome, and associated costs of care. Crit Care Med. 2001;29:1303-1310

About B R A H M S

B·R·A·H·M·S is a European biotech research company located in Berlin, Germany. The company researches and produces innovative diagnostic tests for clinical use and markets its products in over 50 countries worldwide. B·R·A·H·M·S holds the international patents for Procalcitonin (PCT) as well as for other innovative products.

About bioMérieux

bioMérieux is a leading international diagnostics group that specialises in the field of in vitro diagnostics for clinical and industrial applications. bioMérieux designs, develops, manufactures and markets systems (i.e. reagents, instruments and software) used in:

• Clinical applications: the diagnosis of infectious diseases such as hepatitis, HIV, tuberculosis and respiratory illnesses, as well as pathologies such as cardiovascular diseases and cancer, based on the analysis of biological samples (such as blood, saliva or urine); and
• Industrial applications: the microbiological analysis of food, environments (such as water and air), surfaces and pharmaceutical and cosmetic products, based on the analysis of product or environmental samples.

In 2004, bioMérieux sales reached 930.6 million euros. The company is present in more than 130 countries through 33 subsidiaries and a large network of distributors, which positions the company well to benefit from the growth potential of the in vitro diagnostics market. Some important drivers that underpin this growth are aging populations and age-related illness, illnesses related to life-style and eating habits, emerging new pathogens, the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria, the fight against bio-terrorism, the recognition of the importance of the quality of food products.

bioMérieux is listed on the Premier Marché of Euronext, Paris (FR0010096479 – BIM).