Sysmex Enters into R&D and Licensing Agreement with Merck Millipore

Sysmex Corporation has entered into a clinical research, joint development and licensing agreement with Merck Millipore involving Merck Millipore imaging flow cytometry technology. 

If successful, Sysmex and Merck Millipore will collaborate on developing the imaging flow technology platform for the future commercialization in hematology.  

Sysmex has developed various products to analyze cells within the blood, using flow cytometry (FCM) as a platform that can be easily deployed in a clinical setting.

This agreement involves the imaging flow cytometry technology developed by Amnis which was acquired by Merck Millipore in 2011. It is a unique, highly differentiated technology platform that combines the power of flow cytometry with rapid capture of high volume images of cell morphology, fluorescent imaging, and automated digital image analysis. The clinical study will assess the use of imaging flow cytometry technology as a platform for diagnosing hematologic disorders such as leukemia.

Once clinical research is complete, the parties intend to develop more powerful diagnostic tools that will generate image data of molecular (protein) expression status, as well as the identification of abnormal cells in the blood. Sysmex aims to promote the creation of new diagnostic technologies that will enable the realization of personalized medicine and contribute to the advancement of healthcare by meeting increasingly diverse and sophisticated testing needs.