Meridian Bioscience (NASDAQ:VIVO) has reached a deal to offer discounted prices for two molecular diagnostics tests to members of one of the nation’s largest healthcare group purchasing organizations.
Cincinnati-area Meridian hopes the deal with Premier, a hospital-owned quality improvement alliance that boasts more than 2,500 hospital members, adds a spark to sales of two molecular diagnostic tests based on its illumigene platform, according to a statement.
With the Rise of AI, What IP Disputes in Healthcare Are Likely to Emerge?
Munck Wilson Mandala Partner Greg Howison shared his perspective on some of the legal ramifications around AI, IP, connected devices and the data they generate, in response to emailed questions.
The illumigene product line is key to Meridian’s future as more customers look to molecular diagnostics, a means of analyzing the makeup of an organism at the genetic level.
The molecular tests Meridian is selling under the deal with Premier are for group B streptococcus, a bacterial infection that can be passed to a woman’s baby during delivery, and C. difficile, which is a bacterium that can cause diarrhea and, in severe cases, a life-threatening inflammation of the colon.
Premier has similar agreements in place with Cepheid and with GeneOhm Sciences for molecular tests for the same two types of bacteria, a spokesman for the North Carolina-based company said.
In it most recent fiscal year, ended Sept. 30, 2011, Meridian’s sales grew 12 percent to about $160 million.
Last month, Meridian received Australian regulatory approval to begin selling its illumigene group B strep test in that country.