Beckman Coulter Takes Over Access Sales Duties

Beckman Coulter Inc. and Bio-Rad Laboratories Inc. will not renew their distribution agreement for the Access immunoassay system in 90 markets throughout Europe, Africa and the Pacific Rim, Beckman said Monday.

As a result, Beckman Coulter will assume sales duties for the instrument system and related test kits.

Beckman Coulter, a Fullerton maker of medical instruments and products, said separate research and development partnerships and contract manufacturing agreements won’t be affected by the decision.

The Access system is a bench-top analyzer that performs a range of assays, including test panels for cancer, anemia, cardiac, fertility, thyroid, infectious disease, blood virus, allergy and diabetes.

Beckman Coulter purchased the product line from the Pasteur Sanofi Diagnostics division of the French company Sanofi. At that time, the division became Beckman Coulter’s distributor.

After Bio-Rad acquired Sanofi in October, the companies decided to review the agreement.