Abbott ‘set to develop heart failure detection test’

Abbott has revealed that it plans to develop a new heart failure detection test on the Architect Immunochemistry Diagnostics Platform using a product from the firm BG Medicine.

For the purpose, it will develop and commercialise galectin-3, a novel biomarker that may be capable of detecting the progression of heart failure.

The assay will be developed for the Architect Immunochemistry Diagnostics Platform, in particular Abbott’s i1000SR and i2000SR instruments.

As part of the agreement with BG Medicine, Abbott has been granted a licence to the firm’s intellectual property related to galectin-3.

Michael Warmuth, senior vice-president of diagnostics products at Abbott, said: “Novel markers like galectin-3 have the potential to make important contributions to improving patient and economic outcomes as we work to better understand this deadly and costly disease.”

Earlier this week, Abbott announced that a trial into its fully bioabsorbable drug eluting coronary stent produced a positive outcome.