DakoCytomation Denmark A/S has acquired intellectual property rights for the Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) test, including antibodies detecting the bacteria, from Connex GmbH. Connex is a privately owned biotechnology company located in Martinsried near Munich, Germany. According to terms of the agreement, DakoCytomation acquires all rights to the product and handles continued production, sales, distribution and customer service.

Erik Winther, Executive Vice President and CFO of DakoCytomation, commented, "Acquisition of the H. pylori rights is strategically important to us. We continuously aim at expanding and strengthening our proprietary pool of key intellectual property rights to better serve our customers and secure our continued development and growth."

The test for H. pylori is part of DakoCytomation's diagnostic product portfolio. If a H. pylori infection is left undetected and, therefore, untreated, it can lead to stomach ulcers and in some instances, stomach cancer. Early, accurate diagnosis of infection allows the administration of appropriate antibiotic therapy and a full recovery by the patient.

The H. pylori antibodies are used in a test based on the ELISA technique. Compared to other tests on the market, this method offers convenience to the patient by being non-invasive and accurate. Furthermore, the test is cost-effective, allowing more patients to receive optimal treatment.

It is estimated that at least 10 percent of the Western population is infected with H. pylori, whereas 1 percent have symptoms and 0.1 percent develop cell changes that can lead to stomach cancer.