Ortho Clinical Diagnostics, a global leader of in vitro diagnostics, has announced an international distribution and co-promotion agreement with Thermo Fisher Scientific to provide 14 assays used to monitor therapeutic drugs, immunosuppressive drugs and drugs of abuse. 

The agreement is part of Ortho's ongoing MicroTip Partnership Assays program, through which Ortho collaborates with other diagnostics companies to validate and deliver a broad range of assays to the hospitals, hospital networks and labs who use Ortho's VITROS 4600 Chemistry System and VITROS 5600 Integrated System. 

The immunosuppressive drugs tests covered by this agreement are used to monitor transplant patients to prevent over-suppression or organ rejection, while the therapeutic drug tests are used to confirm drug levels in the body and monitor compliance and toxicity. The testing menu for drugs of abuse is used to monitor both illicit and prescription drugs in cases of suspected abuse.  It includes tests used to monitor and treat opioid addiction and those used to check levels of pain medication. The assays will initially be launched in North America, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.