AXIM Biotechnologies has signed an agreement with Auer Precision to scale up the production of its two diagnostic assays for dry eye disease (DED).

This partnership aims to meet the growing demand for the assays, ocular T-POC TOTAL IgE Immunoassay and T-POC LACTOFERRIN Immunoassay, designed for point-of-care diagnosis of DED. Both assays are approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Until now, AXIM has been producing these kits in-house.

Under the new agreement, Auer Precision will begin production of the two assays to address the clinicians’ needs across the country.

The partnership is also set to facilitate the scaling of production volumes in the upcoming months.

AXIM’s assays deliver results within nine minutes.

The allergen-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) assay by AXIM measures IgE in samples quantitatively, allowing clinicians to distinguish the root causes of a patient's eye condition to provide treatment.

The Lactoferrin assay measures the lactoferrin protein levels. This protein has a special mix of antiviral, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory characteristics.

Clinicians may directly link low levels of lactoferrin to aqueous deficiency-induced DED, and the degree of DED can be ascertained by measuring the patients' lactoferrin levels.

AXIM Biotechnologies CEO John Huemoeller II said: “AXIM is a research and development company and from a strategic standpoint, selecting a great partner for manufacturing will enable us to focus on what we do best while generating revenue on our already proven tests in the most efficient way.

“While we have been able to meet the demands of regulatory agencies and some orders by in-house manufacturing, the economies of scale afforded by working with a reputable firm like Auer make the partnership a no-brainer. They were quick to prove their understanding of our tests and firm in their ability to scale production to meet our needs now and in the future.”