Magellan Biosciences, Bruker form drug resistance microbiology tools agreement

April 14, 2011

An agreement to deliver microbial identification from cultures using Bruker's MALDI-TOF mass spectrometer-based proteomic fingerprinting, along with Magellan's TREK susceptibility tests to clinical, research and veterinary laboratory customers, is currently underway. This agreement will help eradicate a bacterial, fungal, or yeast infection by prescribing the right antimicrobial drug at the lowest possible dose, as well as help to combat the burgeoning problem of drug resistance.

Magellan will develop and test an integrated cross-platform software interface that will enable microbial identification information gathered on the Bruker MALDI Biotyper mass spectrometry-based proteomic fingerprinting system combined with Magellan's Sensititre susceptibility results. The software will allow laboratories to generate custom expert rules, which can guide laboratory and clinical action upon receipt of results from both systems.

Magellan president and CEO Hiroshi Uchida, Ph.D., says that the company can combine the MALDI Biotyper's rapid identification of more than 2,000 species of bacteria, as well as yeast and fungi, with Sensititre's true MIC results for an expansive list of antimicrobial drugs and dilution ranges. This allows physicians to make more-precise dosing decisions, he says.

The MALDI Biotyper is available in a clinical version with an IVD-CE mark in the European community, and is labeled research-use-only in the United States. Bruker plans to seek U.S. FDA clearance, and regulatory clearance is underway in several other countries. The Sensititre product line features both EU and U.S. clearances, while Japan clearance for the Sensititre system is in process.

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Posted by Lee Mather

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