NEW YORK (360Dx) – The Magellan Diagnostics business unit of Meridian Bioscience has signed an exclusive distribution agreement with MedCaptain Medical Technology for distribution of Magellan's LeadCare II blood lead testing system in Chinese markets.
Magellan said that its LeadCare II blood lead test is the only system cleared by both the US Food and Drug Administration and China Food and Drug Administration that is portable and capable of providing a quantitative blood lead result in three minutes.
Magellan Diagnostics President and CEO Amy Winslow said in a statement that the agreement with MedCaptain was an early indicator of expected synergies between Meridian and Magellan.
When Meridian completed the acquisition of Magellan in March for $66 million, it acquired a company with FDA-cleared products for the testing of blood to diagnose lead poisoning in children and adults.
Winslow said that along with MedCaptain, the combined entity would "focus on growth in a geography where lead exposure is a significant health risk."
Guidelines from the National Health and Family Planning Commission of China indicate that testing for blood lead levels is a priority for monitoring heavy metal poisoning of children and adults considered at high risk. Because lead is a neurotoxin, it can cause deficits in fertility, fetal growth, intellectual development, learning capabilities, and behavior.
As part of the deal with Meridian and Magellan, MedCaptain will educate Chinese physicians and consumers, through a series of seminars and academic conferences, about the risks associated with lead poisoning and how to manage them, Meridian said.
The test is being used in pediatric and primary care settings in the US to help doctors diagnose lead exposure quickly and easily, Meridian said. Distribution activities in China through MedCaptain will begin in January 2017.