Novartis and Gen-Probe Agree to Extend and Expand Blood Screening Collaboration

Companies will work together to protect the world's supply of donated blood from infectious diseases until 2025

30-Jan-2009 - USA

Chiron, a Novartis business, announced that it has agreed to extend and expand its blood screening collaboration with Gen-Probe until 2025. The companies will continue to work together to develop and commercialize molecular technologies that safeguard the world's donated blood supply.

The collaboration between Novartis and Gen-Probe was established in 1998. It was previously scheduled to expire in 2013. Under the original terms of the agreement, the companies shared revenue from the sale of blood screening assays. Gen-Probe was responsible for manufacturing costs, while Novartis was responsible for commercial expenses. The companies shared research and development (R&D) costs.

Under the revised agreement, Gen-Probe will continue to be primarily responsible for R&D and manufacturing. Novartis will remain responsible for sales and marketing of the products, but will collaborate more closely with Gen-Probe on sales, marketing and distribution strategies. In addition to sharing R&D costs, the companies will share manufacturing expenses. Gen-Probe also will receive a percentage of end-user revenue that escalates gradually from 2009 until 2015, and remains constant thereafter.

As part of the expanded agreement, Novartis has agreed to help fund development of Gen-Probe's PANTHER instrument, a fully automated molecular testing platform, for the blood screening market. The companies also have agreed to evaluate, using Gen-Probe's technologies, the development of companion diagnostics for current or future Novartis medicines.

https://www.bionity.com/en/news/94765/novartis-and-gen-probe-agree-to-extend-and-expand-blood-screening-collaboration.html