Abbott has entered into a licensing agreement with Nephromics LLC, a Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts-based company, for patents related to the development of in vitro diagnostic tests to detect preeclampsia. Currently, no specific diagnostic test exists to detect this life-threatening disease that affects the health of thousands of pregnant women each year.

Under the terms of the agreement, Abbott obtains worldwide, semi-exclusive rights to commercialize products using Nephromic's patents covering two proteins for detecting and monitoring preeclampsia. Other terms of the agreement were not disclosed.

"Because preeclampsia can strike quickly, potentially causing severe and immediate complications such as seizures and organ failure that threaten both the health of the baby and mother unless the pregnancy is induced, early diagnostic tests are needed," said David Barch, medical director, Abbott Diagnostics.

William Brown, vice president, Diagnostic Assays and Systems Development, Abbott said, "These tests would be developed for use on our premier diagnostic analyzer, the ARCHITECT integrated immunoassay and clinical chemistry system."