מתוך medicontext.co.il
By Mark Potter
LONDON (Reuters) – Anglo-Norwegian diagnostics firm Axis-Shield Plc said on Friday it had signed a deal to develop a test which could be used to expose athletes who take performance-enhancing drugs.
The firm said it had agreed to develop and manufacture a test for testosterone–the male sex hormone–with US healthcare giant Abbott Laboratories Inc.
Abbott will be responsible for marketing and distribution.
Abnormally high levels of testosterone can be a sign that an athlete is taking performance-enhancing drugs banned by the sport, although there has been much controversy over the accuracy of such tests in the past.
British athlete Diane Modahl was banned from the sport for four years in December 1994 after urine tests in Lisbon, Portugal, allegedly showed a high level of testosterone.
But an independent appeal panel lifted the ban in July 1995 after doubts were cast over the accuracy of the tests.
Axis-Shield, which is already developing tests for heart disease, dementia and diabetes, said the testosterone kit could also be used to diagnose infertility.
Finance Director Paul Garvey told Reuters the test would not generate substantial revenues for the firm, but showed Abbott looked upon Axis-Shield as its key diagnostics partner.
The firm is already developing and manufacturing a test for heart disease with Abbott in a deal signed in March.
Axis-Shield said the testosterone test would be used on Abbott's AxSym testing platform and would be commercially launched worldwide in early 2003.
At 1145 GMT, its shares were 13 pence, or four percent, higher at 364p, valuing the business around 166 million pounds ($233 million) and in the face of generally weaker markets.
($1=0.7116 Pound)
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