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SPRX is developing a less-invasive blood glucose monitor. Two other products that are near commercialization are a bilirubin and diabetes screening product. Abbott Labs is the partner for the blood glucose monitor. Boehringer Mannheim is the partner for the diabetes screening product. The non-invasive bilirubin screening device provides an alternative to the invasive heel stick blood draw for measurement of blood bilirubin levels in newborns. It is partnered with Healthdyne Technologies (HDTC) in the US & Canada, and the product should be approved and launched by the first half of 1998. The worldwide market for bilirubin testing is an estimated $180million annually, at an average $10 per test. Competitors for the bilirubin test are: FONET & Chromatic Color Sciences (CCSI). The SPRX device works with newborns of all skin colors. Excessivly high bilirubin results in jaundice, which can result in brain damange unless treated. Prompt identification of newborns with excessive levels of bilirubin is critical, and the conventional treatment is phototherapy. |
