Supply Agreement to Boost Molecular Diagnostic Testing in Scandinavia

One of Europe’s leading providers of clinical laboratory testing and medical diagnostic imaging services has signed an agreement for the supply of diagnostic products over the next four years for Sweden and Norway with a Finnish molecular diagnostics company specialized in the development of innovative diagnostics solutions for infectious diseases.

Unilabs (Geneva, Switzerland), one of Europe’s leading providers of clinical laboratory testing and medical diagnostic imaging services to private and public healthcare providers, operates laboratory and medical diagnostic imaging facilities in 12 countries. The company recently announced the signing of a four-year agreement with Mobidiag Ltd. (Espoo, Finland) for the supply of Mobidiag's Amplidiag molecular diagnostic tests for Unilab's facilities in Sweden and Norway.

The Amplidiag Bacterial GE test utilizes well-established qPCR (qualitative polymerase chain reaction) technology for the rapid qualitative detection of eight gastroenteritis-causing bacteria directly from stool samples without requiring pre-culturing of the samples. In addition to Campylobacter, Salmonella, Shigella/EIEC, and Yersinia, the test also detects the diarrheagenic E. coli strains: enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), enteroaggregative E. coli (EAEC), enterohemorrhagic E. coli (EHEC) and enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC). In addition, the Amplidiag product line covers tests for carbapenem- and vancomycin-resistance screening, as well as noninvasive Helicobacter pylori testing.

“Molecular diagnostics is gaining traction and becoming an increasingly important tool in improving patient diagnostics,” said Dr. Helena Enroth, head of research and development in molecular microbiology at Unilabs, Sweden. “Implementing new multiplex molecular diagnostic tools is a step forward in our efforts to continuously improve our service portfolio and meet customer demands. Mobidiag is able to offer a comprehensive suite for gastrointestinal testing, and importantly, the products meet our expectations for large-scale use.”

“We are very happy to enter into this agreement,” said Tuomas Tenkanen, CEO of Mobidiag. “It is a major step forward in our efforts to enter the European market, and a major step in bringing Amplidiag products into the high-throughput use they have been designed for. This agreement solidifies our belief that we are able to create value together with our customers by bringing affordable molecular multiplex tests into clinical laboratory routines. We are very pleased to work together with Unilabs.”

Related Links:
Unilabs
Mobidiag Ltd.