Siemens and Nephromics to develop preeclampsia diagnosis assays

Siemens is to ally with medical diagnostic services provider Nephromics on the development of new detection systems for preeclampsia.

The companies have signed a global licensing agreement that will see them develop a pair of assays targeting soluble fms-like tyrosine-kinase-1 and placental growth factor, biomarkers that have been linked to a heightened risk of the condition.

Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics will obtain rights for the development of the two assays to be used in conjunction with each other, with this dual-pronged method having been shown in clinical trials to deliver better performance than when administered separately.

This will complement the company's existing obstetric and gynaecological offerings and offer a new means of combating a condition that can be extremely harmful to pregnant mothers and their unborn children.

Dave Hickey, chief executive officer for the chemistry, immunoassay, automation and diagnostics IT business unit at Siemens Healthcare Diagnostics, said: "Given the prevalence and associated mortality with preeclampsia, clinicians need better diagnostic tools to identify the condition before it becomes advanced."

Last week, the company launched a new Enhanced Liver Fibrosis for the Advia Centaur platform, which offers fast performance and proven efficacy.