News

News

Sysmex Enters into Clinical Research, Joint Development and Licensing Agreement with Merck Millipore

-Accelerating the Creation of New Cell Analysis Technologies with a View to Personalized Medicine-

  Sysmex Corporation (HQ: Kobe, Japan; Chairman and CEO: Hisashi Ietsugu) has entered into a clinical research, joint development and licensing agreement with Merck Millipore (HQ: Massachusetts, United States) involving Merck Millipore imaging flow cytometry technology. The aim of this collaboration is to use Merck Millipore’s flow cytometry technology as a platform to accelerate the creation of new more powerful diagnostic tools. If successful, Sysmex and Merck Millipore will collaborate on developing the imaging flow technology platform for the future commercialization in hematology.

  Sysmex has developed various products to analyze cells within the blood, using flow cytometry (FCM)* as a platform that can be easily deployed in a clinical setting.  

  This agreement involves the imaging flow cytometry technology developed by Amnis which was acquired by Merck Millipore in 2011. It is a unique, highly differentiated technology platform that combines the power of flow cytometry with rapid capture of high volume images of cell morphology, fluorescent imaging, and automated digital image analysis. The clinical study will assess the use of imaging flow cytometry technology as a platform for diagnosing hematologic disorders such as leukemia.
 

  Once clinical research is complete, the parties intend to develop more powerful diagnostic tools that will generate image data of molecular (protein) expression status, as well as the identification of abnormal cells in the blood. Sysmex aims to promote the creation of new diagnostic technologies that will enable the realization of personalized medicine and contribute to the advancement of healthcare by meeting increasingly diverse and sophisticated testing needs.
 

Note
*
Flow cytometry (FCM): Method involving the flow dispersion of minute particles and the use of laser light to optically analyze the minute flows. Used primarily to observe individual cells.



About Sysmex Corporation
Sysmex Corporation is a world leader in clinical laboratory systemization and solutions, including laboratory diagnostics, laboratory automation and clinical information systems. Serving customers for more than 40 years, Sysmex focuses on technological leadership in diagnostic science and information tools that make a difference in the health of people worldwide. The company is also exploring emerging opportunities in the life science field. Its R&D efforts focus on the development of high-value-added testing and diagnostic technologies that are innovative, original and optimize individual health. Sysmex also seeks to leverage its state-of-the-art technologies for gene and protein analysis. The company, headquartered in Kobe, Japan, has subsidiaries in North America, Latin America, Europe, China and Asia Pacific and employs more than 6,000 employees worldwide. Sysmex Corporation is listed in the top tier of the Tokyo Stock Exchange. For more information about Sysmex Corporation and its affiliate companies, please visit http://www.sysmex.co.jp/en/.



About Merck Millipore
Merck Millipore is the Life Science division of Merck KGaA of Germany and offers a broad range of innovative, performance products, services and business relationships that enable our customers’ success in research, development and production of biotech and pharmaceutical drug therapies. Through dedicated collaboration on new scientific and engineering insights, and as one of the top three R&D investors in the Life Science Tools industry, Merck Millipore serves as a strategic partner to customers and helps advance the promise of life science.
 

Headquartered in Billerica, Massachusetts, the division has around 10,000 employees, operations in 66 countries and 2012 revenues of €2.6 billion Merck Millipore operates as EMD Millipore in the U.S. and Canada.
 

Note: Merck KGaA or Merck shall mean Merck KGaA, Darmstadt, Germany

  • Information contained in the news release is current as of the date of the announcement,
    but may be subject to change without prior notice.

Back to "News"