ABBOTT PARK, Ill., April 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Abbott (NYSE: ABT) and Sekisui announce an agreement to offer coagulation testing solutions for laboratories worldwide. Coagulation tests measure a person's blood clotting ability, which can help doctors assess risks of excessive bleeding or developing clots. Under the agreement, Abbott will be the exclusive distributor of Sekisui's new CP3000 coagulation instrument in the United States, Europe and other regions that recognize CE Mark.

"Abbott is committed to providing testing solutions that healthcare providers rely on for actionable information in diagnosing and treating various medical conditions," said Jaime Contreras, senior vice president, Commercial Operations, Diagnostics, Abbott. "Collaborating with Sekisui broadens our offerings within hematology, providing an important component needed to improve care for people around the world."

Coagulation testing helps clinicians in assessing people before many medical treatments and in monitoring those who take medications that can affect clotting. It is also useful in the diagnosis of blood-related disorders, such as hemophilia (when blood does not clot normally) and thrombosis (formation of a clot that blocks blood flow).

"Coagulation testing has been an important focus for Sekisui for over twenty years," said Robert Schruender, president and chief operating officer of Sekisui Diagnostics. "We are delighted that this relationship with Abbott will bring the benefits of our system, which is a leading product in Japan, to many customers around the world."

"Collaborating with Sekisui broadens our offerings within hematology, providing an important component needed to improve care for people around the world."

JAIME CONTRERAS, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, COMMERCIAL OPERATIONS, DIAGNOSTICS, ABBOTT

Sales of the CP3000 are expected to begin later this year in Europe, countries that recognize CE Mark and non-regulated countries, and in the United States in 2016. Abbott will have non-exclusive distribution rights with Sekisui in China, Hong Kong, Japan and Macau.

About the CP3000:

The Sekisui CP3000 system features high-quality reagents, small sample volume requirements and offers a combination of high-throughput and a compact footprint. With a broad assay menu and rapid result turnaround time, the CP3000 can rapidly meet the workflow needs of laboratories of all sizes, while providing high quality and reliable results. The system will aim to seamlessly connect to Abbott's ACCELERATOR a3600 lab automation platform and middleware solutions.

About Sekisui:

Sekisui Medical (SMD) headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, aspires to become a leading global medical company in fields such as Diagnostics, Pharmaceuticals & Fine Chemicals, and ADME & Toxicology Research. The Diagnostics business is engaged in the development, manufacture and distribution of commercial plastic vacuum blood collection tubes, and various in vitro diagnostics products and systems, including coagulation.

Sekisui Diagnostics, a global diagnostics company and sister company of SMD, is committed to improving patient's lives by providing innovative medical diagnostics to physicians and laboratories through a global commercial network. Product lines include clinical chemistry and coagulation systems, reagents, infectious disease testing and rapid test kits, as well as enzymes and specialty bio-chemicals.

About Abbott:

Abbott is a global healthcare company devoted to improving life through the development of products and technologies that span the breadth of healthcare. With a portfolio of leading, science-based offerings in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic pharmaceuticals, Abbott serves people in more than 150 countries and employs approximately 73,000 people.

Visit Abbott at www.abbott.com and connect with us on Twitter at @AbbottNews.

Photo - http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150414/198389

SOURCE Abbott