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However, as is often the case among companies that populate the medical technology sector of the global economy, IVD manufacturers are continuing to find ways of turning adversity into opportunity. Making use of the industry’s devotion to technological innovation and expertise in a wide range of technologies, IVD manufacturers are developing new generations of products that offer ever-greater diagnostic value while also addressing such customer concerns as test accuracy, speed, communications connectivity, and cost. To accomplish these goals, companies in the IVD sector are continually on the lookout for new technologies as well as new business opportunities.
The IVD industry’s devotion to innovation has a pervasive influence on the ways that IVD companies do business. It means that company leaders are looking not only for new product ideas, but also for fundamentally different ways of approaching their business. For instance, IVD companies need access not only to the latest developments in biochemistry and genomics, but also to the latest products in electronics and robotics, software and telecommunications, plastics molding and packaging—and a great many other fields. It also means that IVD companies are not afraid to think about their business as a global enterprise, to explore the potential of their intellectual properties in extraclinical applications, or to enter into strategic relationships that can help advance company goals.
Finding New Technologies
Fortunately for all the hard-pressed innovators in the IVD industry, there is a wide variety of supplier companies that can help. This issue of IVD Technology is dedicated to helping IVD manufacturers by offering detailed listings for hundreds of supplier companies with a specialized interest in providing the products and services that manufacturers need to get to market with their products in a timely fashion.
One factor that makes the search for suppliers so difficult is the growing complexity of IVD products. While most IVDs have in common the application of biochemicals and chemical reagents for the purpose of clinical diagnosis, the elaboration of such products to meet the needs of the marketplace is leading to the development of entirely new technologies. This issue of IVD Technology is the essential sourcebook for companies that are seeking to keep pace with the latest trends in the industry.
While this edition of the IVD Technology buyers guide can be an invaluable shelf resource throughout the year, it is not the end of the story. The IVD Technology buyers guide also exists as an interactive, Web-based system where supplier companies can update their information throughout the year. Manufacturers seeking to get updated information about materials and components used in IVD products can access the online listings.
The Experts
To help describe the categories and subcategories in this year’s buyers guide, IVD Technology once again called upon a number of industry experts. This year’s section introductions are either wholly new or updated to take into account the latest trends affecting each supplier category. The editors are grateful to each of the contributors, who are described in the following sections.
David Cantor is involved in business development at Scantibodies Laboratory Inc. (Santee, CA). He previously worked as a laboratory chemist, and he has more than 15 years experience in the IVD industry. His family’s involvement in the industry has spanned 30 years. He can be reached at david.cantor@scantibodies.com.
Cheri English is the materials/purchasing manager at Scantibodies Laboratory, where she has worked for more than five years. She is a member of the National Association of Purchasing Management and the Institute for Supply Management. She is a certified purchasing manager and an accredited purchasing practitioner. She can be reached at cheri.english@scantibodies.com.
Rick High is involved in business development at Scantibodies Laboratory. Since graduating from San Diego State University with a B.S. in biology, he has been working at Scantibodies for 10 years. After starting at Scantibodies in customer service, he is now responsible for sales in North and South America, and Asia. He can be reached at rick.high@scantibodies.com.
Vincent Sy is an independent consultant who is currently working with an IVD company located in Spain. He has been involved in the IVD industry for more than 25 years. He previously worked at Ventrex Laboratories Inc. (Portland, ME) and Binax Inc. (Scarborough, ME), where he was the inventor of two patented lateral-flow diagnostic devices. He can be reached at vincesy@maine.rr.com.
Kevin Jones, PhD, is chief scientific officer and vice president at EDP Biotech (Knoxville, TN). He holds a PhD in chemistry from the University of Wales. After graduating, he moved into the biotechnology field and worked for BritishBiocell International (Cardiff, UK). Upon leaving BritishBiocell, he worked in consulting for two years before joining Whatman Inc. (Florham Park, NJ) as technology manager for diagnostics in 1997. He is also a member of IVD Technology’s reader board. He can be reached at kevinjones@edpbiotech.com.
David Pearman is a sales manager at Response Biomedical Corp. (Burnaby, BC, Canada). He was previously employed at Helena Laboratories (Beaumont, TX) in sales and product management. Prior to joining Helena, he was a product manager and research scientist at GDS Technology (Elkhart, IN). He was also a manager of the hybridoma facility and a senior research scientist at American Biogenetic Sciences (Copiague, NY). He is also a member of IVD Technology’s reader board. He can be reached at dpearman@responsebio.com.
Michael L. Deras, PhD, is a senior research scientist at Gen-Probe Inc. (San Diego). He received his BSc from Creighton University (Omaha, NE) and earned his PhD in medicinal chemistry from Purdue University (West Lafayette, IN). Prior to working at Gen-Probe, Deras completed postdoctoral studies in the biophysics of RNA folding at Johns Hopkins University (Baltimore). He can be reached at michaelde@gen-probe.com.
Tom Nugent, PhD, is a senior research scientist in research and development at Gen-Probe Inc. (San Diego). He received his AB in biological sciences at the University of Missouri, and a PhD in microbiology and immunology from Louisiana State University Medical Center in Shreveport. He also conducted postdoctoral research at Scripps Research Institute (La Jolla, CA). He can be reached at tomn@gen-probe.com.
Niels Wartenberg has worked as a senior applications engineer with Microscan Systems Inc. (Renton, WA) since 2000. Before joining Microscan, he spent more than eight years implementing bar code technology in clinical laboratory systems for a major manufacturer of diagnostics instrumentation. He has a degree in electrical engineering, and has served as an instructor for bar coding technology overview courses for the Association of Laboratory Automation for more than six years. He can be reached at nwartenberg@microscan.com.
Robert P. Adams is a senior engineer at Abbott Diagnostics (Abbott Park, IL) with 25 years’ experience in the fields of package engineering, design, and quality assurance. He has been responsible for packaging engineering projects for new product introductions and existing product lines. He has also served on numerous teams at Abbott, including purchasing quality assurance, vendor certification, cost reduction, change control/FDA audit response, and total customer satisfaction. He can be reached at robert.adams@abbott.com.
Richard Lamotte is managing director of the Dundee facility at BBInternational (BBI; Cardiff, UK). He has more than 20 years’ experience in the IVD market, and specializes in lateral-flow assay development, manufacture, automation, and equipment. In 1998, he founded Alchemy Laboratories, which was acquired by BBI in May 2006. He has extensive experience in assay methods, materials, applications, and techniques, and has been involved in the development of more than 100 IVD products in a broad range of applications and fields. He can be reached at richardlamotte@bbigold.com.
George Crowell is the diagnostics market segment manager at SAFC Supply Solutions (St. Louis). He is currently responsible for the strategic marketing to diagnostics manufacturing. He has held various positions in the IVD industry for more than 25 years, either as part of an IVD manufacturer or with a supply solutions company to the industry. He received a BS in chemistry and biology from Southern Illinois University (Edwardsville, IL) and an MBA degree from Lindenwood University (St. Charles, MO). He can be reached at gcrowell@sial.com.
Brendan O’Farrell, PhD, is a principal at Diagnostic Consulting Network (Carlsbad, CA). He was previously vice president of technology development at BioDot Inc. (Irvine, CA). He is the author of numerous trade and peer-reviewed publications, as well as several patents. He speaks regularly at conferences and workshops worldwide, on topics related to lateral flow, microfluidics, biosensors, and next generation point-of-care diagnostics. He graduated from University College Dublin with a PhD in medical microbiology. He is also a member of IVD Technology’s reader board. He can be reached at bofarrell@dcndx.com.
Conclusion
This year’s guide offers a wealth of information for diagnostics manufacturers. Although the editors have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of the information included in the guide, it cannot be guaranteed. We therefore encourage readers to bring omissions or errors to our attention by contacting the Editor, IVD Technology, 11444 W. Olympic Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90064; phone 310/445-8595; fax 310/445-4269; or e-mail richard.park@cancom.com.
