EKF & Tosoh Europe N.V. distribution agreement expands HbA1c POC testing in Middle East & Africa

EKF Diagnostics, the global in vitro diagnostics company, has signed a three-year distribution agreement with Tosoh Europe N.V. to distribute its Quo-Test® HbA1c point-of-care (POC) analyzer in the Middle East and Africa. The Tosoh Bioscience division is one of the largest global manufacturers of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipment for glycated hemoglobin analysis, primarily used in core laboratories. As a desktop analyzer designed for reliable and straightforward HbA1c measurement in point-of-care (POC) settings, such as diabetes clinics and doctors’ surgeries, EKF’s Quo-Test® analyzer complements Tosoh’s HPLC technology.

Tosoh Europe has identified a growing demand for point-of-care HbA1c analysis, complementing its traditional laboratory market. It has identified EKF Diagnostics as a key partner to provide this service to its customers. As a leading HPLC manufacturer, Tosoh’s analyzers frequently benchmark and validate point-of-care (POC) devices, including Quo-Test. This agreement will enable both EKF and Tosoh Europe to operate in markets they have previously been unable to access, and will provide Tosoh Europe with the opportunity to offer new services tailored to changing customer requirements.

“We are delighted to partner with Tosoh Europe as they expand their need for point-of-care HbA1c analysis in a time where those suffering from diabetes are at greater risk,” commented Julian Baines, CEO of EKF. “Tosoh is a leading HPLC brand, and its analysers are considered the gold standard when validating POC products such as EKF’s Quo-Test®. For them to choose our analyzer to complement their lab-based HPLC analyzers for HbA1c testing is a great endorsement of our technology.”

Quo-Test® is fully automated and quantifies HbA1c from a 4μL sample taken from a finger prick or venous whole blood. Unaffected by most hemoglobin variants, lab-quality results are available within four minutes and reported in IFCC and DCCT standard units. To facilitate its use as a POC analyzer, step-by-step instructions are displayed on Quo-Test®’s multi-lingual display, minimizing staff training time and user-related errors.

Following the initial three-year term for the Middle East and Africa, EKF’s Quo-Test® distribution agreement with Tosoh Europe features a rolling one-year renewal, with the option to extend the deal into EU countries as needed.