Technoclone, Roche enter strategic alliance to co-develop coagulation assays

Roche (SIX: RO, ROG; OTCQX: RHHBY) announced today that it has entered into a strategic alliance with Technoclone, a reagent specialist in thrombosis and cardiovascular diagnostics based in Vienna, Austria, to co-develop a complete range of coagulation assays. The alliance supports plans Roche announced in October 2011 to develop a new line of analyzers for the central coagulation lab, which will be marketed under Roche's cobas® brand.  The new line is expected to be introduced in the U.S. and Canada in 2014, subject to regulatory approval and other requirements.

As part of the alliance, Roche will also market Technoclone's range of Research Use Only products that address the needs of specialists and researchers in the hemostasis research community.

"Technoclone brings considerable industry expertise to this collaboration, and the company shares our goal of bringing improved medical value to healthcare providers and patients," said Randy Pritchard, vice president of marketing for Roche Diagnostics Corporation. "The expansion of the reagent menu into key areas of hemostasis will greatly enhance the new line of laboratory coagulation analyzers in development and will open up new opportunities for research related to targeted treatment and personalized healthcare."

The agreement follows Roche's announcement in December 2011 that it was acquiring Verum Diagnostica GmbH, a leading company in platelet function testing, the fastest-growing field in the coagulation diagnostics market.

While clinical laboratories continue to consolidate, centralize and automate their processes in response to cost pressures, global trends show an increased demand for routine and special testing such as coagulation to address the need for improved patient outcomes. Laboratory coagulation is estimated to be the fifth-largest market in professional diagnostics worldwide, representing approximately 1.3 billion USD in sales in 2010 and having a projected annual growth rate of 5.1% over the next five years.

SOURCE Roche Diagnostics