DPC and Dade Behring Alliance
Awarded Novation Immunochemistry Contract

Earlier this year, Diagnostic Products Corporation announced the formation of an exclusive US sales and marketing alliance with Dade Behring, Inc. (Deerfield, IL), one of the world's largest clinical diagnostics companies, for Novation customers. The Novation contract covers the IMMULITE® portfolio of immunochemistry diagnostic systems and assays.

Dade Behring, under the terms of the new alliance, has been awarded an immunochemistry contract to 2,000 healthcare organizations that purchase supplies through Novation (Irving, TX), the supply company for VHA Inc. and the University HealthSystem Consortium (UHC), which are two national healthcare alliances. The contract positions Dade Behring as the exclusive distributor of IMMULITE and IMMULITE® 2000 chemiluminescent immunoassay systems and reagents to Novation's member facilities.

Through agreements with manufacturers and distributors, Novation manages more than $12 billion in annual supply purchases, covering over 30 percent of available US hospital beds. In addition to serving VHA and UHC members, Novation makes its contracts accessible to more than 4,200 organizations that purchase supplies through Irving-based HealthCare Purchasing Partners International, LLC.

"The combination of Diagnostic Products Corporation's IMMULITE products and Dade Behring's Dimension® clinical chemistry systems makes for an incredibly broad chemistry and immunochemistry product line offering to Novation's member facilities," said Marc N. Casper, Dade Behring's president of the Americas. "Together, our companies' products and contract implementation capabilities will meet the needs of Novation's entire network of members."

"We are very pleased to have earned the contract to distribute IMMULITE systems to Novation's members through Dade Behring," said Michael Ziering, President and Chief Executive Officer, Diagnostic Products Corporation. "Our to work with Novation will certainly contribute to our domestic growth in the coming year. The combination of Dade Behring's strong relationships and our high-quality systems add a new dimension to an already strong portfolio currently being utilized."