questions for clint...
...of abaxis:
- how are foreign sales (japan, mexico) of piccolo going?
do they see much more potential overseas because of lesser
redtape from HMOs, insurers, CLIA waivers, etc.
is lack of clinical labs in remote areas a good thing
for the co. because there is no IDEXX to compete with there,
but counteracted by concerns over higher overseas servicing,
distribution, marketing, and the like?
- what is the cost of machine service, anyway? is there enough
experience in the field to see that there's no potential bombshells
by them all wearing out at once? do they go by service contracts,
warrantees -- is there aftermarket opportunity (e.g. software
upgrades) for abaxis aside from just disk sales?
- are costly disk returns ever necessary because of duds from
the factory, or perhaps shelf life of the chemicals?
- could they add a 2nd or 3rd shift in manufacturing if the
new equipment doesn't work right and demand is up?
wouldn't a 2nd shift help lower production costs, anyway?
- what about insurance gotchas -- is this quietly holding up
the human market? if so, would that change with new electrolytes tests?
why does CTEC have success with CLIA waivers but abaxis doesn't?
- does electrolyte success need a costly rotor
(or worse) a machine redesign to go with the new tests?
or is it all done with software?
- why do they consider IDEXX to be competitors with obsolete equipment
but not dade behring with the old Analyst designs?
dadechemistry.com
supposedly these aren't even manufactured anymore, but hemagen
is picking it all up just to get the customer list for sell through
of newer stuff...
- wouldn't overseas disk assembly be a lot more cost-effective
than doing it in silicon valley?
- are there any new leads for use of the orbos process?
what's the scoop on point-of-care machines in massive
quantity for the herbal medicine market, whose pracitioners
can legally do finger sticks but not draw blood?
- elaborate on progress with the vet chains -- how close to saturation
in the rapidly consolidating mkts there?
- why stay independent at all? what's wrong with selling
out to the roche's of the world -- just price? |
