Bruker Corp. (NSDQ:BRKR) subsidiary Bruker Daltonics Inc. signed a co-development and co-marketing deal with Franklin Lakes, N.J.-based Becton, Dickinson & Co. (NYSE:BDX) BD Diagnostics division.
Under the terms of the agreement, the Billerica, Mass.-based laboratory equipment maker’s MALDI Biotyper, a mass spectrometry-based proteomic "fingerprinting" system for identifying bacteria, yeast and fungi will be combined with antimicrobial susceptibility testing on BD’s Phoenix microbiology system. The companies said BD’s EpiCenter microbiology data management software will manage patient data from both systems. They’re also working to enable the software for blood tests using the MALDI Biotyper system with BD’s BACTEC blood culture system for faster test results for patients at risk from sepsis.
The MALDI Biotyper is available in a clinical version with IVD-CE mark in Europe and is for research use only in the U.S., where Bruker intends to seek Food & Drug Administration clearance for the device, according to the companies.