EKF and Tosoh Europe N.V. Sign Distribution Agreement for Quo-Test HbA1c POC Analyzer in Middle East and Africa

EKF Diagnostics has signed a three-year distribution agreement with (Cardiff, UK) Tosoh Europe N.V. (Tessenderlo, Belgium) for the distribution of its Quo-Test HbA1c point-of-care (POC) analyzer in the Middle East and Africa.

Tosoh Bioscience division is one of the largest global manufacturers of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipment for glycated hemoglobin analysis predominantly in core laboratories. Tosoh’s analyzers are frequently used to benchmark and validate POC devices such as Quo-Test. As a desktop analyzer designed for simple and reliable HbA1c measurement for monitoring and managing diabetes in POC settings, such as diabetes clinics and doctors’ surgeries, EKF’s Quo-Test analyzer complements Tosoh’s HPLC 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. Also facilitating its use as a POC analyzer, step-by-step instructions are displayed on Quo-Test’s multi-lingual display, minimizing staff training time and minimizing user-related errors.

EKF’s Quo-Test distribution agreement with Tosoh Europe will allow both the companies to work in markets they have previously been unable to access and provide Tosoh Europe with the opportunity to offer new services to suit changing customer requirements. After the initial three-year term for the Middle East and Africa, the distribution agreement has a rolling one-year renewal with the option to extend the agreement into EU countries as required.

“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,” said Julian Baines, CEO of EKF. “Tosoh is a leading HPLC brand and its analyzers are considered to be 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.”