Axygen acquires Labnet
Axygen Scientific Inc., a worldwide manufacturer of lab consumables, has acquired Labnet International Inc. Labnet's product lines include centrifuges, liquid handling products, molecular biology equipment, bench top shakers and rockers, incubators and laboratory plastics. This acquisition will add value to the existing product portfolio of Axygen.

Commenting on the impact of this new relationship in India, Navneet Trehan, director, India operations, Axygen, informed, "We have now not only introduced the entire range of Labnet products in India but have also reduced the pricing on certain range of Labnet products by 20-30 percent compared to its earlier price as we would like to pass on the benefits to the customer." He added, "My long-term aim is to introduce an annual maintenance plan for all our products in India, which is something I find lacking now." With an initial focus on lab consumables, the company has expanded its product range to supply small biotech equipment and plastic disposables as well. Next, it plans to focus on the molecular biology reagents and kits segment.

The company recently tied up with Corning to distribute its life sciences products in the Indian market. "We are 100 percent committed to our channel partners and they have grown with us during the past few years," informed Trehan.

Biotech Desk to distribute Biontex products in India
Hyderabad-based Biotech Desk has tied up with Biontex, a transfection technology company, to distribute the latter's products in India. Transfection is delivery of genes or DNA to eukaryotic cells. Biontex researches this key step of gene technology in respect of complete synthetically manufactured carrier systems (i.e. transfection reagents.) Its product range includes METAFECTENE, INSECTOGENE and DOTAP. Biontex has also developed new liposomal transfection reagents designed to achieve high transfection efficiencies.

Started in February 2003, Biotech Desk focuses on providing quality chemicals and research tools besides consultancy services in the area of biotech, molecular biology, proteomics and bioinformatics.

Trident ties up with CyBio
Trident Equipment Pvt Ltd has entered into a tie up with CyBio AG, Germany. CyBio is a global market leader in simultaneous pipetting technology. Its product portfolio covers liquid handling, incubation, imaging reader, software and system integration to achieve fully automated screening technologies.

Trident Equipment, established in 1998, specializes in analytical and process instrumentation. Besides CyBio Trident also acts as exclusive distributors for Thermo Orion, Biochrom, Sirius Analytical and data color in India.

DHL to provide medical express services to Indian companies
DHL Worldwide has launched its medical express service to the Indian life sciences companies. Under this service, DHL will provide a logistics solutions that brings life sciences companies closer to end users and help them differentiate and add value to products. DHL manages the variety and complexity of different supply chains and global distribution networks in the life sciences industry.

DHL Life Sciences Industry Services offers consultancy and project management for companies competing in global life science industries. Its outsourced services are designed to provide leveraged network efficiency against the market trends of online sales and after sales service, mergers and consolidation, growth in outsourcing and the increase in customer expectations for service anywhere, anytime.

DHL also provides specific services in operations including diagnostics specimen services, temperature control packaging, distribution and validation services, reagents, implants, prescription and OTC services, marketing Express collateral fulfillment services, secure samples service for high value parts and prototypes, direct distribution to patient, doctor, hospital, laboratory, dangerous goods service, contract test services and also to focus time critical clinical trials for direct distribution etc.

BD Biosciences releases flow cytometry system for clinical diagnostics
Becton, Dickinson and Company has announced the release of the BD FACSCanto flow cytometer for In Vitro Diagnostic (IVD) use. This new bench-top analyzer supports not only life science and clinical research applications, but also the routine and complex tests performed in clinical laboratories. The BD FACSCanto system was also CE-IVD marked and released in Europe earlier this year.

"We leveraged our 30-plus years of expertise in flow cytometry in the design of the BD FACSCantosystem," said Bill Rhodes, vice-president and general manager, BD Biosciences Immunocytometry Systems.

Pall to introduce enhanced version of bioburden filter
Pall Corporation is introducing an enhanced bioburden reduction filter that combines three novel technologies to provide more economical filtration of a broad range of biopharmaceutical fillers and buffers. The Supor UEAV 0.2 micron filter is claimed to increase filter service life and protects sterilizing grade filters and other sensitive downstream processing equipment such as Tangential Flow Filtration (TFF) and chromatography systems. This has been achieved by incorporating three advanced technologies into a single filter.

The Supor UEAV is the newest addition to the Pall Supor Line of products that incorporates PES media.

GE Healthcare speeds assay development for GPCR membranes
GE Healthcare, amalgamation of former Amersham and GE Medical Systems, will introduce a range of pre-developed protocols for G-Protein-Coupled Receptors (GPCRs) membranes. These pre-validated protocols are aimed at saving precious time during the GPCR assay development stage by up to 15 days. The new SPA GPCR assays offer researchers working in high throughput screening environments pre-developed assay conditions for GPCR receptor-ligand binding studies. Assays for G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are extremely important in the drug discovery process, as they are involved in receptor activation. GPCRs account for approximately 30 percent of all targets studied in high throughput screening. The latest estimates suggest that the ~80 launched drugs that target GPCRs generate ~$60bn in annual sales.

Millipore opens manufacturing facility in Jaffrey
Millipore Corp. opened its new $29 million state-of-the-art membrane casting manufacturing facility in Jaffrey, New Hampshire. Adjacent to Millipore's current device plant on Prescott Road, the 44,000-square-foot building will enable Millipore to increase production of its Ultra Filtration (UF) membranes for worldwide biopharmaceutical markets.

The membrane plant houses an advanced Class 100,000 controlled environment. A new wastewater pretreatment plant is located next to the new facility. In addition, a 33,000-square-foot warehouse is currently under construction to connect the new membrane manufacturing facility to the company's device plant. All equipment and processes in the new facility are cGMP compliant to meet the pharmaceutical industry's regulatory standards.

Genetix focuses on contract research
Genetix Biotech Asia, a distributor and technical support company for companies like Qiagen and Nalgene in India, plans to enter into contract research operations. The company has taken up additional space, adjoining its existing facility and is planning an investment of Rs 2 crore for this. Genetix is targeting the research outsourcing from academic institutes/universities abroad. It is understood to have signed an agreement with a group from the Columbia University. The talks are also on with a major life sciences German company for contract research work. "There are lots of opportunities in this area and we need to pick and choose from them. We plan to focus on 100 percent export oriented jobs in this segment. This will be a deviation from the marketing and trading job that we have been doing, which nevertheless would remain the core part of our existence," informed Arun Prakash, CEO, Genetix Biotech Asia.

The new facility will focus on developing diagnostics and providing services in this area. At present, the company has a strong workforce of 75 employees of whom 38 are into sales and marketing. The contract research team consists of three employees, which will be expanded to 10 in the new facility. Genetix stocks and sells over 5,000 different product lines having a temperature requirement from –4 to 80 degrees centigrade. It has 30 sub distributors and branch offices in all the major biotech hubs of the country.

Thermo Electron introduces waived flu and RSV test kits
Thermo Electron Point of Care and Rapid Diagnostics, a business unit of Thermo Electron Corp., will begin distributing the NOW Flu A & B and the NOW RSV test kits for the rapid diagnosis of influenza (Flu) and Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) in hospital and physician office laboratories in the US and select overseas markets.

Flu and RSV infect over 10 percent of the US population each year, resulting in over 50,000 deaths annually. These rapid tests are designed to provide physicians the ability to quickly diagnose and treat patients infected with Flu or RSV.

Agilent receives 2004 Lilly Global Supplier Award
Agilent Technologies has been awarded the 2004 Lilly Global Supplier Award. This award recognizes suppliers who have delivered superior performance to Eli Lilly and Co. Agilent was one of 11 award winners, who were selected based on their ability to deliver quality, service, speed and total cost reduction. Lilly employees nominated more than 40 companies from among Lilly's 6,000 suppliers.

"We are honored to have been selected for such a prestigious award," said Chris van Ingen, president, Agilent's Life Sciences and Chemical Analysis group.

Cambrex Bio Science opens new life sciences facility
Cambrex Bio Science Hopkinton Inc., a subsidiary of Cambrex Corp., has opened a new life sciences facility at its campus in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. This is its new 2,800-liter fermentation and purification facilities. Cambrex Bio Science Hopkinton provides dedicated process development, analytical and cGMP manufacturing services for the production of active pharmaceutical ingredients for clinical trials and commercial products.