Fujirebio has entered into a long-term license agreement to make the availability of Thermo Fisher Scientific's biomarker assay Procalcitonin (PCT) on its Lumipulse family of laboratory instruments.

Under the agreement, Fujirebio will make use of the chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay technology for the integration of the assay, which will be used in Japan to detect patients suspected of having sepsis.

Thermo Fisher Scientific clinical diagnostics business president Marc Tremblay said the agreement with Fujirebio ensures that PCT testing will be available to a much broader patient base, helping to improve patient’s outcome.

"Through the earlier detection of sepsis, healthcare providers can offer much better treatment to their patients and also achieve dramatic cost-savings," Tremblay added.

In Europe, the PCT test is used for the early detection of sepsis in critically ill patients and helps doctors to determine whether an infection is bacterial or viral and provide information on the severity of a patient’s condition for appropriate treatment and therapy monitoring.