Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, Raritan, NJ, has announced an international distribution and copromotion agreement with Thermo Fisher Scientific, Waltham, Mass, to provide 14 assays for use in monitoring therapeutic drugs, immunosuppressive drugs, and drugs of abuse.

The agreement is part of Ortho’s ongoing microtip partnership assays program, through which Ortho collaborates with other in vitro diagnostics companies to validate and deliver a broad range of assays to hospitals, hospital networks, and labs that use Ortho’s Vitros 4600 chemistry system and Vitros 5600 integrated system.

The immunosuppressive drug tests covered by the agreement are used in monitoring transplant patients to prevent oversuppression or organ rejection, while the therapeutic drug tests are used to confirm drug levels in the body and monitor compliance and toxicity. The test menu for drugs of abuse is used to monitor both illicit and prescription drugs in cases of suspected abuse. It includes tests used to monitor and treat opioid addiction and those used to check levels of pain medications.

Robert Yates, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics.

Robert Yates, Ortho Clinical Diagnostics.

“This new agreement with Thermo Fisher Scientific will help us meet customer needs, now and into the future, helping healthcare professionals grapple with persistent and significant problems like opioid addiction and treatment,” says Robert Yates, chief operating officer at Ortho. “Ortho is committed to its robust internal research and development programs, as well as collaborating with other innovative companies to expand its menu and bring greater medical value to our customers.”

The assays will initially be launched in Africa, Europe, the Middle East, and North America.

For more information, visit Ortho Clinical Diagnostics.