BD Diagnostics, a segment of global medical technology company BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), and Diagenode SA, an international biotech company based in Belgium, announced today the European-only launch of the Diagenode Respiratory FLU A/B primers and probes kit for use on the BD MAX™ System. The Diagenode Respiratory FLU A/B primers and probes kit has been CE-marked and validated to run on the BD MAX™ System using the BD MAX™ RNA Extraction kit RNA-3 open system reagent, providing customers with a fully automated system that standardizes the extraction process and offers ease-of-use and improved laboratory workflow.

"As the first partner assay validated for use on the BD MAX System, the launch of the Diagenode Respiratory FLU A/B kit demonstrates the flexibility and versatility of the BD MAX System and open system reagents in facilitating the rapid development of molecular testing assays," said Gregory Meehan, Vice President, Product Planning, BD Diagnostics – Diagnostic Systems.

Through collaborations with leading in vitro diagnostic (IVD) developers such as Diagenode, BD plans to expand the molecular testing menu by offering clinically relevant, IVD assays across a number of disease syndromes. "The Diagenode FLU A/B assay is the first of several assays we are planning to launch as fully validated, CE-marked products on the BD MAX System. What is unique about the BD MAX System versus other platforms is the ability to leverage the open system capability of the instrument throughout the validation process," stated Didier Allaer, CEO of Diagenode.

The expanding BD MAX System menu and open capability, full automation and standardized workflow, will enable laboratories to consolidate and standardize a broad range of molecular tests to build programs that can meet both their current and future clinical needs.