Creating a cardiovascular screening test
Creating a cardiovascular screening testLuminex Licensed Technologies Partners represent a diverse set of market segments, company sizes, and geographies. The versatility of xMAP® Technology has supported the launch of thousands of multiplexed immunoassays formatted into commercially available kits and testing services.
Zhiping Zhou, President, and Jianrong Wu, Associate Director of Research and Development, at Beijing Unionluck Biological Technology Company discuss how xMAP Technology helped them create a cardiovascular screening test.
Mr. Zhou and Ms. Wu, Unionluck is one of Luminex’s newest Partners in China. Can you tell us about your company and the products you offer?
Unionluck began operations in 1996 and we have been a Luminex Partner since 2015. We specialize in the research and development, manufacture, and commercialization of in vitro ELISA-based diagnostic products for the mainland China neonatal disease screening market. In addition, with the rise of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in the Chinese population, we initiated a program to expand our portfolio to include kits used to screen for cardiac, vascular, and cerebrovascular disease.
The infrastructure to support our product offering includes an established sales team, a nationwide distribution network, and customer support department. Our customers are primarily comprised of hospital-based testing laboratories throughout China.
How did you come about adopting the xMAP Technology, and where are you in your commercial plan?
I [Ms. Wu] was first introduced to xMAP Technology through discussions with a Luminex sales representative who approached me to discuss our mutual interests in neonatal screening assays. We evaluated the technology and immediately determined it would be an excellent multiplex platform for our cardiovascular assay development program versus other technologies such as chemiluminescence. The open architecture design of the xMAP platform and the ability to develop both protein and nucleic acid based assays were key selling points as we were looking for a technology solution that would support our entire product development strategy.
Efforts are currently underway to meet a target launch date in late 2017 for our first xMAP-based assay – a cardiovascular screening test. Of course, this timeline is contingent on a successful clinical validation and approval by the China Food & Drug Administration. We are also on track to commercialize a diagnostic test late in the following year.
Can you share with us any other benefits of becoming a Luminex Partner that might not be readily apparent?
One of the greatest benefits Unionluck received was the onsite instrument and assay development training that was provided by Luminex. This activity was instrumental in quickly becoming proficient on the platform and in assay development.
Unionluck is the first Chinese company to partner with Luminex in the lucrative and competitive Chinese cardiovascular market. Many of our customers are familiar with the xMAP platform, and as we introduce our assays to that market, we are confident adoption will be very good and the products will be a commercial success.
Are you interested in developing, manufacturing, and commercializing a multiplexed assay on a platform that is efficient, flexible, and widely-adopted? Contact Luminex Business Development at http://info.luminexcorp.com/en-us/become-a-partner.