bayer acquires certain rights to infectious disease diagnostics

PR Newswire Bayer Acquires Certain Rights to Infectious Disease Diagnostics
June 14, 2001

TARRYTOWN, N.Y., June 14 /PRNewswire/ -- Bayer Corporation today announced it has acquired certain development, manufacturing and sales agency rights for immunodiagnostic products for the detection of Hepatitis C (HCV) and HIV antibodies from Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics (Ortho), a subsidiary of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), and Chiron Corporation (Nasdaq: CHIR), expanding its immunodiagnostics laboratory testing systems offering. Bayer Diagnostics is also developing a full array of Hepatitis B and Hepatitis A assays for its leading automated immunoassay platform -- the ADVIA Centaur(R) Immunoassay System. By expanding its infectious disease menu of assays, Bayer said it will compete more effectively in the $1 billion Hepatitis and HIV clinical diagnostics market. "This transaction is a critical part of our growth strategy in the laboratory testing segment of the in-vitro diagnostics marketplace," commented Rolf Classon, President of Bayer Diagnostics. "Our ability to offer customers a comprehensive, fully-automated infectious disease menu strongly enhances the value of our already popular ADVIA Centaur(R) Immunoassay System, a state-of-the-art instrument, considered to be one of the most productive and efficient immunodiagnostic platforms available today." "Granting access to Bayer Diagnostics, allowing them to develop, manufacture and act as sales agent for Ortho/Chiron HCV and HIV antibody assays for the ADVIA Centaur and other systems, complements our strategic goal to achieve global leadership in the worldwide hepatitis testing arena," says Gerard Vaillant, Chairman of Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics. "Our interest is to enhance and enable infectious disease detection and particularly HCV testing worldwide, in order to positively impact diagnosis and treatment of this widespread disease. Allowing Bayer Diagnostics to represent our assays on their diagnostic laboratory systems will make high quality HCV and HIV assays more accessible to healthcare institutions worldwide, and complements our own commercial activities." "This agreement expands the platforms carrying our HCV and HIV assays, making Chiron's technology more broadly and universally available," says Rajen Dalal, President of Chiron's Blood Testing Division. About the Agreement Under terms of the arrangement, Bayer will manufacture the HCV and HIV antibody assays with Ortho/Chiron labeling and will act as Ortho's exclusive sales agent in offering these products for use on Bayer immunodiagnostics systems. Bayer will not represent these products for blood screening applications. Today's transaction will allow Bayer Diagnostics to offer Ortho/Chiron HCV and HIV immunoassays for diagnostic testing use on ADVIA Centaur and future ADVIA platforms. Bayer said its ADVIA Centaur Immunoassay System has been used to report more than 104 million patient results throughout the world. The system, which can run 240 tests per hour and can be universally integrated with laboratory automation systems, offers consolidated testing for a broad range of conditions, including cancer, cardiovascular diseases, fertility, anemia, thyroid diseases, allergy, therapeutic drug monitoring and certain infectious diseases. "The arrangement reflects the importance of infectious disease testing to Bayer's customers and supports the company's commitment to develop a new generation of diagnostic systems and services designed to increase the value of the laboratory in the health care system," Mr. Classon said. "The infectious disease market is a fast growing segment of the diagnostics industry which we expect to grow at a rate of greater than 8 percent annually through 2005." About Hepatitis (HCV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), HCV affects almost 4 million people in the United States alone. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that there are more than 170 million chronic carriers worldwide and 3 to 4 million persons are newly infected each year. The CDC estimates that between 800,000 and 900,000 people were living with HIV/AIDS in the United States through the end of 2000. Based on estimate from the United Nations AIDS program (UNAIDS), an estimated 36.1 million people worldwide were living with HIV/AIDS, with 5.3 million new cases reported in 2000. HIV/AIDS caused approximately 3 million deaths worldwide in 2000, and has become the 4th leading cause of mortality in the world. Background Information In late 1998, Bayer Corporation acquired Chiron Diagnostics Corporation in a deal valued at $1.1 billion. Today's agreement continues Bayer Diagnostics' commitment to provide the full range of products demanded by the marketplace and build on Bayer's growing portfolio which also includes nucleic acid diagnostics (NAD) assays in HIV and Hepatitis, allowing the company to provide customers with a broad range of solutions for infectious disease testing. With more than 7,300 employees worldwide and 2000 sales greater than $1.8 billion, Bayer Diagnostics (http://www.bayerdiag.com), based in Tarrytown, New York, USA, is one of the largest diagnostic businesses in the world. The organization supports customers in 100 countries through an extensive portfolio of central, self-testing, nucleic acid and near patient care diagnostics systems and services for use in the assessment and management of health, including the areas of cardiovascular and kidney disease, oncology, virology, women's health and diabetes. Bayer Diagnostics is a part of the worldwide Bayer Group, a $29 billion international health care and chemicals group based in Leverkusen, Germany. Bayer Diagnostics' global headquarters in the United States operates as part of Bayer Corporation of Pittsburgh, a research-based company with major businesses in health care, life sciences and chemicals. Chiron Corporation, headquartered in Emeryville, California, is a leading biotechnology company that participates in three global healthcare markets: biopharmaceuticals, vaccines, and blood testing. The company is applying an integrated scientific approach to the development of innovative products for preventing and treating cancer and infection. For more information about Chiron, visit the company's web site at http://www.chiron.com. Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics, a Johnson & Johnson Company (http://www.orthoclinical.com) is a leading provider of high-value diagnostic solutions for the global health care community. Committed to developing the most advanced tests for early detection or diagnosis of disease, the Company brings products to market that provide timely information and help to facilitate better medical decisions. Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics also provides blood screening and typing products that help to ensure the safety of the world's blood supply. In addition, through its patented dry slide and enhanced chemiluminescence technologies, the Company transformed the way that clinical laboratories perform testing. Worldwide, health care professionals rely on Ortho-Clinical Diagnostics for innovative diagnostic solutions that promote effective diagnoses and enhanced patient care. This news release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. A full discussion of Chiron's operations and financial condition, including factors that may affect its business and future prospects, is contained in documents the company files with the SEC, such as form 10-Q and 10-K. These documents identify important factors that could cause the company's actual performance to differ from current expectations, including the outcome of clinical trials, regulatory review, manufacturing capabilities and marketing effectiveness. SOURCE Bayer Corporation Web Site: http://www.bayerdiag.com http://www.chiron.com http://www.orthoclinical.com

Most Read: Latest Added Related Topics White House LGBT Conference on HIV/AIDS UNITED STATES: White House in Atlanta: LGBT AIDS Conference No more single-theme conferences: global HIV prevention conference planned FHI 360 Senior Scientist Lut Van Damme Receives International Microbicide Conference Lifetime Achievement Award Equatorial Guinea Ministry of Health and Social Welfare and UNICEF Refute Erroneous AIDS Prevalence Figures Photographs from A Day with HIV Now Online Bulgaria urges Libya to investigate AIDS nurses case Engineers enter fight against AIDS in Africa Gilead’s Complera® Non-Inferior to Atripla® Among Treatment-Naive HIV Patients UN chief Ban calls world leaders to end Aids by 2020 OHIO: Phila Health Department HIV Testing Well-Received CONNECTICUT: City's Circle Care Center is a Model for HIV Prevention UNITED STATES: New Compound Excels at Killing Persistent and Drug-Resistant Tuberculosis INDIA: India Faces TB Drug Shortage, Warns International Medical Org ALASKA: After Topping List for Chlamydia Rates, Alaska Seeing Some Improvement Tanzania: Police Abuse, Torture, Impede HIV Services Growing HIV/AIDS awareness in Indonesia's Papua region South Africa: Catastrophe as Eastern Cape drug stock-outs continue Community-led programmes critical to progress on AIDS in Sri Lanka One in Four Surveyed EU5 Physicians Has Been Required to Change a Prescription for Some or Most of Their HIV Patients in the Past Twelve Months, Primarily to Reduce Costs ABL Acquires Evivar Medical Assets and Further Enhances its IT Solutions and Personalized Healthcare Platform for Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV Infections In 50 years, huge strides for gay-rights movement Organization of American States adopts bold resolution on HIV and human rights New Single Virus Detection Techniques for Faster Disease Diagnosis Eminent Judges unite to address HIV, human rights and the law Detecting Disease with a Smartphone Accessory Research Conducted at Center for Disease Control and Prevention Has Provided New Information about HIV/AIDS New HIV/AIDS Findings from National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) Discussed Right to health, right to life: HIV and human rights in Europe Chelsea Clinton eyes global projects, gay rights
Copyright © 2001 -PR Newswire, Publisher. All rights reserved to PR Newswire.. Reproduced with permission. Reproduction of this article (other than one copy for personal reference) must be cleared through PR Newswire, Permissions, 810 Seventh Ave., 32nd Floor, New York, NY 10019. Information in this article was accurate in June 14, 2001. The state of the art may have changed since the publication date. This material is designed to support, not replace, the relationship that exists between you and your doctor. Always discuss treatment options with a doctor who specializes in treating HIV.