Golden West Biologicals Inc (GWB) and IsoSciences LLC recently announced their intent to form a joint venture to develop, manufacture, and market products to the liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (LC-MS) market.
The joint venture will operate under the name CertiTrol, and will capitalize on the strong reputation IsoSciences has developed as a leading provider of mass spectrometry standards and on GWB’s strength in the in vitro diagnostics and human sera markets.
“With this announcement, IsoSciences and GWB are leveraging our combined expertise to position CertiTrol to become the leader in LC-MS consumables,” said Scott Landvatter, president of IsoSciences. “This partnership comes at a time when mass spectrometry is rapidly expanding in the clinical laboratory environment, and cost-effective, ready-to-use reference materials and methods are needed to ensure the accuracy of measurements.”
GWB is a privately held company headquartered in Temecula, Calif. The company provides manufacturers and laboratories with more than 80 human and animal biological products and is both ISO 9001 and ISO 13485 certified. IsoSciences, an MPD Chemicals company, is a world leader in providing custom-synthesized isotope-labeled compounds, including intermediates, final drug substances, isotopically labeled biological standards, and exact concentration solutions. Headquartered in King of Prussia, Pa, the company has worked closely with leaders in diagnostic testing labs, research universities, pharmaceutical companies, and government agencies to establish an extensive catalog of mass spectrometry standards.
The collaboration will offer new product lines, including standards, calibrators, controls, and kits under the CertiTrol name. It is expected that CertiTrol will launch its first product in the second half of 2014. GWB and IsoSciences will continue to provide their respective product offerings, which will not be affected by the joint venture.
“Our customers are faced with the challenging and time-consuming task of preparing and validating internal LC-MS calibrators and standards prior to analysis,” said Brian Golie, president and CEO of GWB. “We believe the vision and synergies shared between IsoSciences and GWB will enable CertiTrol to develop unique products that will address these issues while providing a level of standardization and repeatability not currently available.”
