Haemonetics Corp. (NYSE:HAE) inked a deal with Quotient Biodiagnostics Group subsidiary Alba Bioscience Ltd. that gives it exclusive access to Alba’s portfolio of blood-typing reagents.
The Braintree, Mass.-based blood management products maker will use the reagents for the Arryx laser blood typing platform, which CEO Brian Concannon calls the entry point into a billion-dollar market.
"Blood typing represents a future $1 billion market opportunity for Haemonetics through the ongoing development of our Arryx technology," Concannon said in prepared remarks.
The licensing deal includes provisions for milestone payments to Alba as the reagents are optimized for the Arryx device and for a perpetual license once the system is commercialized. It’s based on technology Haemonetics acquired when it bought Arryx Inc. for $26 million in June 2006. The technology uses "optical traps" to manipulate microscopic and nanoscopic objects. At the time, then-CEO Brad Nutter said the Arryx nano-separation technology would bolster Haemonetics’ research & development efforts and add to its blood-separation expertise.
Quotient Biodiagnostics is based in Newtown, Pa. Alba Bioscience is based in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Haemonetics posted an $18 million profit on revenues of $165 million during the three months ended Dec. 31, 2009, and announced another acquisition, its fourth in the last year. Yesterday the company extended the $60 million, $1.22-per-share offer for GlobalMed Technologies Inc. it made Feb. 1 until March 24, to give the California-based software provider time to settle a shareholders lawsuit filed to block the acquisition.
