Europe beckons for Avacta with distribution deal

DIAGNOSTICS specialist Avacta has appointed Isogen Life Science as European distributor for its flagship Optim 1000 diagnostics device.

Optim 1000 allows drug developers to gain vital information about compounds using tiny samples, more cheaply and quickly than other methods.

York-based Avacta, which was spun out of the University of Leeds, said Netherlands-based Isogen has strong relationships with a large number of biopharmaceutical and biotech customers throughout Europe.

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Avacta said the Dutch firm also has a strong commitment to high quality customer support.

Isogen has already placed an initial order for an Optim 1000 to be placed within a European biopharmaceutical research organisation, taking the total number of Optim unit sales to date to five.

A number of other orders are due to be announced over the coming months as the capital equipment market recovers from recession.

Avacta chief executive Alastair Smith said: "Isogen Life Science impressed us with their in-depth knowledge of our marketplace. They demonstrated a clear and comprehensive understanding of the value that Optim can deliver in its different application areas."

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The Avacta sales team will now focus on the UK market and on broadening sales efforts into other key markets such as the US.

"Naturally we are delighted that the appointment of Isogen has been accompanied by an order and we look forward to working with them in the future to fully capitalise on the market opportunity for Optim in Europe," said Mr Smith. In July Avacta returned to investors to raise 1.38m through a placing to fund development.

The company develops technology to speed up and reduce the cost of diagnosis.

The group launched Optim 1000 in April last year.

The device, which costs between 50,000 and 100,000, can do tests simultaneously – the work of three or four instruments – in just 75 to 90 minutes. Rival processes can take about 18 days.

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Avacta is also in the process of launching its Midas product, aimed at the animal healthcare market. It will sell for "low thousands" of pounds, and Avacta hopes to earn recurring revenues from consumable test cartridges.

Midas will test blood and serum samples, initially for an unspecified dog disease, but later diversifying to diagnose diseases in cats and horses.

Avacta also hopes to expand Midas into endocrine, thyroid and viral infection tests, with the ultimate aim for the device being human blood tests.