BioMedica Diagnostics (BioMedica) is a growing in vitro diagnostics company with core competencies in the field of thrombosis and hemostasis. In addition to providing coagulation products directly to clinical laboratories in over 50 countries worldwide, BioMedica custom-manufactures a wide range of coagulation products and new-to-world technologies on a variety of platforms and point-of-care (POC) devices.
Established in 1999 in Nova Scotia, Canada, BioMedica is a privately held company with a culture focused on quality, commitment and transparency, which ultimately facilitates integrity throughout the organization. It contributes to the success of its international partners by taking a truly collaborative approach and delivering superior service, quality and results.
The company is thrilled about the opportunities offered by its recent purchase of a specialty line of coagulation products from Sekisui Diagnostics. The agreement, which closed on December 1, 2016, allows BioMedica to greatly expand its coagulation portfolio and target new market segments. “This acquisition will further solidify our foundation in thrombosis and hemostasis and will allow us to continue to build a more dynamic, market-focused organization and technology portfolio,” said Erin MacKean, BioMedica’s global director of marketing and communications.
Focused approach with partners fosters innovation
To achieve its goal, BioMedica has restructured its outward-facing teams to concentrate on specific segments where the company collaborates with partners to add the most value. One business unit is focused on partnerships that will commercialize POC and platform-specific technologies for partners in technology development and the clinical space, while another is focused on relationships with the pharmaceutical industry, companion-diagnostics development and academia.
BioMedica’s senior formulation technologist, Cindy Spence, adjusts measurements during production.
The company fulfills a vital role for its collaborative partners by providing thrombosis and hemostasis expertise exactly when it is needed. “Many of our partners are focused on specific ‘verticals’, such as oncology or cardiology—but it can be difficult and costly to retain in-house coagulation expertise during therapy development, especially if it is not required for the duration of the project,” said Brian Jeffers, president and CEO of BioMedica. “Our focus on thrombosis and hemostasis means we have a defined and specialized ‘horizontal’ that stretches across all verticals, as this expertise is typically required for some portion of development in different therapeutic spaces.”
In addition, the recent acquisition has resulted in a significant expansion of the company’s portfolio of products, technologies and intellectual property. “We now have a tremendous number of assays and products that are FDA 510(k) cleared, CE marked and/or Health Canada registered, as well as a diverse collection of specialty coagulation products for use in the clinical laboratory and for application in research,” said Jeffers. The portfolio includes the QuikCoag line of products—a comprehensive line of reagents, kits, calibrators and controls for use in routine and specialty coagulation—which are available worldwide under their own label, on an OEM (original equipment manufacturer) basis, and under private labeling through partner companies.
BioMedica will continue to focus on the clinical space and to care for its existing partners and customers. The company is also working hard to create a portfolio of innovative core technologies. For example, in June 2016, BioMedica announced that it will receive funding plus technical and business advisory services from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) to support research toward a new approach for monitoring blood clotting profiles. Over the next two years, NRC-IRAP will support a pipeline program focused on the development of the next generation of innovative in vitro diagnostic technologies. “Our ambition is to develop these technologies to a point where we could then engage with our global commercial partners to bring them to market,” said Jeffers.
Care and quality are top priorities
BioMedica takes pride in its values and approach, and in how it connects with partners and customers. When meeting potential new partners, the BioMedica team invests time in building trust, listening to the specific needs of the partner, and exploring whether BioMedica is the right company to help. Then, once a project is under way, BioMedica effectively becomes an extension of the partner’s R&D team, creating a true partnership that also leads to practical benefits, such as cost-savings and an ability to reach the market more quickly.
Rather than seeking the spotlight, the company thrives on its intimate collaborative model and unique team approach, and it reflects this ethos in its logo. “The red diamond represents our partner— up-front and standing out—while the gray diamond represents BioMedica Diagnostics, quietly working away in the background, supporting our partner to help make them shine,” said MacKean.
The high levels of customer care are reinforced by high-quality manufacturing facilities in Canada (Windsor, Nova Scotia) and the United States (Stamford, Connecticut), and by a strong culture of partnership. “Our top priorities are care and quality— we expect the same level of customer care internally that we deliver externally,” said MacKean.
BioMedica Diagnostics works with partners operating in the clinical space, the pharmaceutical industry, companion-diagnostics development and academia, and is open to any collaborative opportunity that may enable a partner to reach its objectives.