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Laboratory Analysis - Patient Monitoring - Online Bioprocess Monitoring 

Teamwork, determination and solid understanding of the customer needs are the founding principles of Chemel.  

Chemel AB's business operations have historically been focused on R&D, manufacturing and sales of bioanalytical instrumentation, software and consumables based on SIRE^® Technology within the laboratory analysis field.

The commercial products so far have targeted the laboratory and quality control customers in biotech, food & beverage industries, universities and research institutes. In principle, anyone interested in fast and accurate measurements of several commonly traced low-molecular weight substances is a potential customer. Chemel AB has defined two more business areas where the SIRE^® Technology has potential for successful business development: Patient Monitoring and Online Bioprocess Monitoring.

Moreover, it is Chemel's strategy to license the SIRE^® Technology to partners in such niche-areas that are not going to be explored by Chemel itself. Such a license was valid for a limited time period to a California based MedTech company, VivoMedical Inc., and gave this company the right to use the SIRE^® Technology for non-invasive measurements in sweat.

Laboratory Analysis

During 2006 the development of the new SIRE^® Bio Laboratory Systems series was initiated to replace its predecessor SIRE^® 101e. This entailed a strategic shift from general multi-analysis instruments (SIRE^® 101e) to single analysis systems (SIRE^® P200), i.e. complete validated analysis systems including reagents, software and service designed for a specific analyte or customer segment within food and bioprocess applications. The first system to be launched is for measurement of glucose in bioprocess applications, i.e. cell culture and fermentation processes. The bioprocess series will include further analytes such as L-Lactate, Glutamine, Glutamate and Vitamin-C.

Patient Monitoring

The possibility to measure different types of metabolites in blood is of great importance for early and fast treatment of patients. To be able to give an early diagnosis also saves costs for patients and society. Instruments that can set diagnosis close to the patient, so called Point-Of-Care-Tests (POCT), have obvious advantages for the patient and contribute to increase the accuracy of the test since the sample is not exposed to the outer environment for such a long time.

The global POCT market for professional testing is worth around 27 000 MSEK of which 18 000 MSEK is measurements of blood glucose. The largest actors on the market are Abbott (USA), Roche (CH), LifeScan (J&J)(USA), and Bayer (D)*.

In the future Chemel will continue to develop POCT analysis systems. By the end of 2006 the development of a SIRE^® analysis system for professional near-patient-monitoring was initiated.

Online Bioprocess Monitoring

Chemel AB is also developing a third product category, SIRE^® Flowcell. This is a real-time online bioprocess monitoring and process control system based on the unique SIRE^® Technology platform. Examples of bioprocesses are production of fine chemicals, industrial enzymes, pharmaceuticals, bioenergy, ethanol production and food production.

These processes are often economically costly and time-consuming. Systems to monitor critical components reduce the number of batches that fail and also allow the operator to stop the process in exactly the right moment or add additional components if needed, which saves both time and economical resources.

The global bioprocess market has an annual growth rate of 10-14 % and reached 540 MSEK in 2004**. Growth rates are estimated to escalate in the future. The main competitors in this area are multi-functional instruments with a high degree of complexity. Chemel’s experience from market dilligence is that many customers ask for robust and less complex online systems, which the SIRE^® Technology can offer.

*Global POCT Diagnostics: Major Players and Key Issues, Episcom 2006.
** Biosensors. US, Europe, Japan, Venture Planning Group 2004.

Chemel Facts (pdf)