Australian medical technology company LBT Innovations Limited (ASX: LBT) has been appointed by joint venture company Clever Culture Systems AG (CCS) as the distributor for APAS® Independence in Australia and New Zealand. This will see LBT as the primary point of contact to sell, market and service the APAS® technology in its home markets.
Australia will be the first global launch country for APAS® Independence and is an important milestone to achieve in having a direct distribution strategy in the first launch market. CCS have developed a due diligence process for the selection of global distributors and LBT was evaluated against this checklist and compared with alternate distribution options available.
LBT CEO and Managing Director Brent Barnes, said: “Australia is an important strategic launch market for CCS and appointing LBT as its distributor makes sense for a number of reasons. Most importantly it will ensure we have timely and direct feedback from our customers, avoiding potential delays that may inadvertently occur when using a distribution partner. With clarity over distribution, we can immediately focus on securing reference laboratories that will independently trial APAS® Independence, which we expect to commence in September 2017.”
LBT, as the initial developer of APAS®, has existing software and engineering expertise in house and an ability to provide experienced market support. This market focus coupled with existing microbiology, sales and marketing expertise will set the foundations for building global expertise used to support distributors who will be appointed in other global markets.
Having recently showcased APAS® Independence at the two largest trade shows of the year being the European Congress of Clinical Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (April 2017) and American Society of Microbiology (June 2017), CCS are concurrently progressing discussions with potential distribution partners in other key markets.
The APAS® Independence will be trialled in microbiology centres of excellence in the coming months as part of an ongoing strategy to develop a global network of reference laboratories for APAS® Independence.
APAS® is a breakthrough artificial intelligence technology for the automated imaging, image analysis, interpretation and reporting of growth on microbiology culture plates after incubation. The APAS® independence improves the clinical efficiency of microbiology labs and enables faster diagnosis and reporting of infectious diseases.
About LBT Innovations
LBT Innovations (LBT) improves patient outcomes by making healthcare more efficient. Based in Adelaide, South Australia, the Company has two world class-leading products in microbiology automation: MicroStreak®, which provides automated culture plate streaking and Automated Plate Assessment System (APAS®). Based on LBT’s intelligent imaging and interpretative software, US FDA-cleared APAS® automates imaging, analysis and interpretation of culture plates following incubation. LBT has entered into a joint venture Clever Culture Systems AG (CCS) with Hettich Holding Beteiligungs- und Verwaltungs-GmbH to commercialise APAS® products. LBT’s third product WoundVue® is in early development; this is a proposed automated solution to assist in the management of chronic wounds.
CONTACTS
LBT Innovations Media Relations
Brent Barnes
Chief Executive Officer & Managing Director
Tel: +61 (0)8 8227 1555
E: info@lbtinnovations.com
Sarah Kemter
Monsoon Communications
Tel: +61 (0)3 9620 3333
M: +61 (0) 407 162 530
E: sarahk@monsoon.com.au
Monsoon Communications
Level 1, 121 William Street
Melbourne VIC 3000
Ph: 03 9620 3333
www.monsoon.com.au
