Magellan Biosciences to Debut Revolutionary New Dynex® Clinical Diagnostics Processing System for Fully Automated ELISA Testing at MEDICA 2010

CHELMSFORD, Mass., Nov. 15, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Magellan Biosciences, a global manufacturer of products designed to make diagnostic testing easier, more cost-effective, and less labor intensive, announced that it will preview an innovative, new immunoassay processing system in the North American Pavilion (Hall 3 D45, Stands 3-6) at MEDICA 2010, which opens tomorrow in Dusseldorf, Germany. Magellan designed the fully automated system, Project 24 (its development name), to quickly and easily process 96-well microplates for total assay optimization. Project 24 is currently in the final stages of development and not yet available for customer orders.

"We are very excited to share our next-generation platform with the marketplace," said Magellan Biosciences President and CEO, Hiroshi Uchida, Ph.D. "Project 24 optimizes microplate ELISA testing by bringing true automation and extraordinary ease-of-use to what historically has been a tedious and time-consuming process. We have removed all of the manual set-up and data entry from the workflow, eliminating nearly 50 percent of the hands-on time compared with traditional systems, significantly reducing cost of ownership as well as cost per test. Additionally, the Project 24 provides Magellan with a powerful platform for future development, including multiplexed immunoassay and molecular testing."

According to Magellan Chief Innovation Officer, Adrian Bunce, "The heart of Project 24 lies in its revolutionary approach to assay kit packaging. Rather than the manual reagent loading and data input of current systems, we have vastly simplified the process – working with assay manufacturers to develop pre-loaded kits that the user adds directly from the box. The direct-load kit format eliminates the need for manual reagent transfer and includes a barcode system that electronically communicates all the information needed for a successful run. This eliminates manual data entry of kit-specific data, minimizes errors, and tracks all kit, sample, and consumable inventory so users are assured that when they walk away, the system will complete its work list fully."

In addition, Magellan will display the Dynex DS2® microplate-automation system, which is sold through ELISA kit manufacturers around the world. Reliable, cost-effective, and easy-to-use and maintain, the DS2 quickly and easily processes two 96-well microplates and up to 12 different assays simultaneously and features the most user-friendly control system available, chain of custody, and instrument diagnostics. Feature-rich and groundbreaking in its process simulation and ease-of-use, the DS-Matrix™ software allows any lab technician to use the systems with minimal training, so labs new to automation can rapidly integrate the system with confidence to begin delivering better, more-reliable results.

Magellan will also feature its microbiology products sold under the TREK-brand name. The VersaTREK® automated microbial-detection system offers four tests on one system, including detection of bacteria in blood culture and sterile body fluids as well as mycobacteria detection and M. tuberculosis susceptibility testing. The Sensititre® product line for susceptibility and identification testing enables labs to test – on a single cost-effective, LIS-compatible system – more antimicrobial drugs than on any other automated platform against the widest range of non-fastidious and fastidious bacteria and yeasts. This saves microbiology labs from having to use multiple off-line test procedures to obtain accurate susceptibility data.

The LeadCare® II system, the world's only CLIA-waived, three-minute blood-lead test, will also be on display. When results really matter, global health experts rely on the LeadCare II test. It removes all the complications associated with traditional lab-based testing – waiting days for results, or spending precious staff time and resources trying to contact patients for critical follow-up care, or tracking down lab results for record-keeping, reporting, or compliance purposes.

About Magellan (www.magellanbio.com)

Founded in 2004, Magellan's innovative technologies make diagnostic testing easier, more cost-effective, and less labor intensive. The company's products deliver the timely information that clinicians need to make appropriate treatment decisions and improve outcomes for patients. They include LeadCare-brand rapid point-of-care systems to screen children and adults for lead poisoning; TREK-brand microbiology products for blood culture and susceptibility testing that help in the global effort to prevent MRSA and other drug-resistant infections; as well as Dynex-brand automated ELISA processing systems for a wide variety of immunoassays – from infectious disease to autoimmune and food-safety testing. Magellan has approximately 290 employees worldwide.

SOURCE Magellan Biosciences