Originally Published EMDM
May 2003
INDUSTRY NEWS
Collaboration Yields Speedy, Cost-Effective Rapid-Test Development |
| Lateral-flow tests to detect pathogens have been developed by BBInternational in collaboration with Merck. |
A rash of food-borne pathogens and infections led the analytics and reagents division of chemicals and pharmaceuticals giant Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany) to research the development of appropriate analytical products. Sourcing a platform that could provide quick, sensitive results in an easy-to-use format, the company entered into a collaboration with BBInternational (BBI; Llanishen, Cardiff, UK).
BBI’s new product development service draws on the company’s expertise in the production of gold conjugates and lateral-flow rapid-test development for the benefit of OEMs. The company’s business model allows customers to fully outsource the development of a new rapid test, including the reagent, without losing ownership of how the test is developed and manufactured, according to managing director Julian Baines.
The five lateral-flow tests developed with Merck—E. coli 0157, salmonella, campylobacter, listeria, and verotoxin Type 1 and 2—were created with the end-user in mind. They can detect the presence of a pathogen in less than 20 minutes or offer a reliable guarantee of its absence. The process is convenient, saves the consumer material costs, and reduces labour costs, according to BBI.
BBI’s one-stop-shop approach encompasses all stages of the development and production cycle, from initial proof of principle to contract manufacture of the finished test, notes Baines. “Merck KGaA and BBI have worked together consistently over the last year and have developed five tests of which both teams can be proud,” he says. Dubbed “pathogen detection of the next generation,” the lateral-flow tests were introduced earlier this year.
For more information, contact BBInternational, Golden Gate, Ty Glas Ave., Llanishen, Cardiff CF14 5DX, UK; phone: +44 2920 747232; fax: +44 2920 747242; Internet: www.bbigold.com; e-mail:
lynrees@bbigold.com.
Norbert Sparrow
Copyright ©2003 European Medical Device Manufacturer
