Company Announcements

In May, QIAGEN opened the QIAGEN (Suzhou) Translational Medicine Center to accelerate the discovery and validation of biomarkers and create companion diagnostics for the Chinese market. The Center is a joint venture with BioBAY, a life sciences cluster located near Shanghai. QIAGEN (Suzhou) is expected to grow to about 50 employees within three years.

In May, QIAGEN entered into an exclusive licensing option with Columbia University on FGFR-TACC fusion genes in order to develop the biomarker into a diagnostic test for targeted treatment for glioblastoma. It also entered into an exclusive license option with the BC Cancer Agency in order to develop the EZH2 Y641 mutation biomarker into a companion diagnostic test.

Agilent allied with the University of California, Berkeley’s College of Chemistry for its Chemical Science Laboratories for the 21st Century project, now under construction. Agilent will equip the labs with chromatography and molecular spectroscopy instruments and software.

In May, Restek became the majority owner of Superchrom, an Italian chromatography consumables supplier and Restek distributor.

Hitachi High-Technologies announced in June that it will transfer the design and domestic sales functions of Hitachi High-Tech’s analytical instrument business and Hitachi High-Tech Control Systems into Hitachi High-Tech Science, which was created after the purchase of SII NanoTechnology (see IBO 12/15/12), to create an operating firm for analytical instruments, effective October 1.

In June, Oxford Instruments named Jennifer Allerton a non-executive director. She has held senior positions that include CIO at F. Hoffmann-La Roche.

In June, Promega named MyBio its exclusive distributor for the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Promega will open a 260,000-square-foot cGMP facility in Fitchburg, Wisconsin, for molecular biology reagents for IVD assays in October.

For the fiscal year ending March 31, Halma Environmental & Analysis revenue declined 0.6% to £152.4 million ($241.9 million) to make up 25% of total revenues (see IBO 6/15/13). Adjusted operating profit fell 3.8% to £30.4 million ($48.2 million). In constant currency, organic sales fell 6% due primarily to lower US government research spending and lower spending by UK water utilities. In constant currency, sales to Asia Pacific and Other grew 13% and 1% to make up 20% and 7% of segment revenue, respectively; UK and European sales declined 15% and 3% to make up 14% and 17%, respectively; and US sales were flat.

Product Introductions

In May, PerkinElmer launched OneSource Strategic Lab Solutions consulting services, consisting of Efficiency and Productivity Services, Lab Assessment Services, and Strategic Prioritization Services and Scientific Knowledge Management Services.