December 20, 2006

A large company in the field of in vitro diagnostics, bioMérieux, has announced it will phase out production of microplate immunoassay business at its Durham, NC, facility next year.

The microplate business line is sold predominantly in the United States and comprises tests used to diagnose HIV and human t-cell lymphotropic virus (HTLV).

The company made the decision after an executive review of both the line’s growth and profit outlook in the United States and of the support and capital commitment it requires. Looking forward, the company would not be able to meet its standards of supply, service, and quality for the microplate line in the US. bioMérieux says it will work closely with customers and health authorities to ensure a smooth transition.