Becton, Dickinson & Co. completed its acquisition of molecular diagnostic assays and automation platforms developer HandyLab Inc. for $275 million.
Ann Arbor, Mich.-based HandyLab makes the Jaguar polymerase chain reaction-based molecular diagnostics platform. The two companies inked a deal in May for BD to commercialize its GeneOhm molecular assays for healthcare-associated infections using the Jaguar platform.
BD said the new deal strengthens the focus on developing assays for Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, Clostridium difficile and Vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus. The new assays will be used on the BD MAX platform, which incorporates elements of the Jaguar technology.
Healthcare-associated or nosocomial infections like MRSA, Clostridum difficile and VRE are acquired during treatment at hospitals or other healthcare settings. One of the top ten leading causes of death in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control, they’re particularly bedeviling because they are resistant to typical preventive measures such as antibiotics.