PerkinElmer To Triple Neonatal Screening Capacity In Mexico

Main Category: Pediatrics / Children's Health
Also Included In: Medical Devices / Diagnostics
Article Date: 23 Jul 2008 - 2:00 PST

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PerkinElmer, Inc. (NYSE: PKI), a global leader in Health Sciences and Photonics, today announced a one-year agreement with the Mexican Ministry of Health, la Secretaría de Salud, to expand its newborn screening program across Mexico. Under the terms of the agreement, PerkinElmer will provide instrumentation, reagents and screening expertise that will help the Ministry of Health screen for congenital hypothyroidism and triple its screening capacity. The expanded program began in May 2008.

"We are honored to have been selected by the Mexican Ministry of Health to support the continued growth of its neonatal screening program," said Robert F. Friel, president and chief executive officer, PerkinElmer, Inc. "PerkinElmer is the world's leading supplier of newborn screening systems and remains committed to supporting the expansion and standardization of newborn screening programs worldwide with leading technology to allow for early detection of potentially life-threatening disorders."

Approximately 2.4 million babies are born each year in Mexico, which has a population of about 110 million. In 2007, PerkinElmer provided technology to screen approximately 640,000 newborns in 14 laboratories across Mexico. Under this new agreement, that number will increase to approximately 1.9 million tests per year. Additionally, PerkinElmer will continue to collaborate with Mexican health authorities to assist them in further developing and expanding their program in the coming years.

Through this agreement, the Mexican Ministry of Health will use PerkinElmer's DELFIA® and AutoDELFIA® Neonatal TSH (hTSH) kits, and VICTOR™ platform to screen for congenital hypothyroidism (CH) in newborns. CH is an inherited metabolic disorder which occurs in 1 in 3,000-6,000 babies worldwide. If left untreated, CH can lead to severe mental retardation.

PerkinElmer is the established global leader in neonatal screening and is committed to growing its offerings in prenatal screening and maternal health worldwide. The Company provides customers with the most comprehensive array of newborn screening solutions available, including the world's first and only tandem mass spectrometry kit cleared by the FDA, and PerkinElmer Genetics, a full-service newborn screening laboratory. PerkinElmer now offers ViaCord® cord blood banking service through which families can preserve their baby's umbilical cord blood at the time of birth for possible future use in treating over 70 life-threatening disorders. PerkinElmer also provides first-trimester prenatal risk assessment testing under the brand name Ultra-Screen®, through its NTD Laboratories subsidiary.

PerkinElmer, Inc. is a global technology leader driving growth and innovation in Health Sciences and Photonics markets to improve the quality of life. The Company reported revenues of $1.8 billion in 2007, has 9,100 employees serving customers in more than 150 countries, and is a component of the S&P 500 Index. Additional information is available through http://www.perkinelmer.com or 1-877-PKI-NYSE.