Agilent Technologies Inc., the world's premier measurement company, and Seoul National University Hospital (SNUH), one of Korea's top medical centres, have collaborated for the development and verification of various biomarkers for development of drugs, including narcotics, immune-suppressants and biomarkers.

"There are gaps in the medical industry that hamper the quality of care we can provide to patients," said Prof. Byung-Hee Oh, president and CEO, Seoul National University Hospital. "One area we want to address is the development of biomarkers for early detection and effective monitoring of a range of diseases."

"Our hospital is pleased to collaborate with Agilent, the premier test and measurement company, to help us stretch the horizons of medical research in order to improve the lives of people in Korea and around the world," he added.

Under the agreement, the hospital's Department of Laboratory Medicine will use the Agilent 6460 Triple Quadrupole LC/MS system as well as Agilent's support services and application expertise. The hospital is committed to creating and maintaining an optimal environment for new biomarkers to be identified and tested rigorously by highly sensitive yet robust instruments.

"We are privileged to partner with Seoul National University Hospital, which has a strong tradition of innovation and quality care for customers," said Agilent's Rod Minett, general manager, Life Sciences, South Korea and the South Asia-Pacific region. "Through this collaboration, we hope to establish more effective and varied verifications system for the medical and life sciences industries."

Agilent Technologies Inc. is a technology leader in chemical analysis, life sciences, diagnostics, electronics and communications.