In a move aimed squarely at international laboratory tenders, QuidelOrtho has signed a long-term strategic supply agreement with Lifotronic Technology Co., Ltd. to expand its global immunoassay portfolio outside the United States.

The deal gives QuidelOrtho access to multiple immunoassay analyzer platforms—ranging from high-throughput systems to low- and mid-volume instruments—along with a test menu that spans routine and specialty assays. More than 25 new assays are expected to be added that are not currently available on the company’s VITROS system. In total, the partner platforms offer a menu exceeding 70 assays.

For a diagnostics company competing in increasingly price-sensitive global markets, menu breadth and scalability can make or break large contracts.

Filling Menu Gaps to Win Tenders

Immunoassay platforms are often judged less by hardware specs and more by test availability and cost efficiency. In many international tenders—particularly across Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and the Middle East—buyers prioritize vendors that can deliver comprehensive menus under a single commercial framework.

By tapping Lifotronic’s portfolio, QuidelOrtho can now compete for full-menu tenders in markets where assay breadth is a decisive factor.

The agreement is designed to:

• Expand assay availability beyond what’s currently offered on VITROS

• Address low-volume lab needs with compact systems

• Support high-throughput labs requiring scalable capacity

• Improve cost competitiveness in price-sensitive regions

In short, this is about widening the funnel. Smaller laboratories that don’t need—or can’t afford—large-scale systems gain new options. Larger reference labs gain broader menus without sourcing from multiple vendors.

A Strategic Push Outside the U.S.

The commercial focus is explicitly international. Target regions include Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Mexico, Central America, South America, India, China, Japan, and broader Asia-Pacific markets.

That geographic emphasis is telling.

The global in vitro diagnostics (IVD) market is seeing growth increasingly concentrated outside North America. Emerging markets, in particular, are investing in scalable diagnostic infrastructure—but with strict cost controls. Vendors that can balance performance with affordability are often favored.

For QuidelOrtho, this partnership strengthens its positioning in markets where localized competition and price sensitivity have historically challenged Western diagnostics firms.

Bryan Hanson, Senior Vice President of Global Clinical Laboratory and Transfusion Medicine at QuidelOrtho, described the agreement as accelerating scalable testing solutions aligned with long-term innovation strategy in core growth markets. The underlying message: expand reach without building everything from scratch.

A Manufacturing and R&D Lever for Lifotronic

For Lifotronic, the deal marks a milestone in global expansion.

China-based diagnostics manufacturers have steadily improved in R&D capability and manufacturing efficiency, increasingly exporting competitive immunoassay systems worldwide. Partnering with an established global brand like QuidelOrtho offers both validation and expanded distribution reach.

Lifotronic Chairman Liu Xiancheng highlighted leveraging in-house R&D strengths to deliver high-value diagnostic solutions for global clinical needs. The partnership effectively combines Lifotronic’s manufacturing and assay development capabilities with QuidelOrtho’s commercial infrastructure and market presence.

Competitive Context: The Immunoassay Arms Race

The immunoassay segment remains one of the most competitive categories in diagnostics, dominated by global players such as Roche Diagnostics, Abbott, Siemens Healthineers, and Beckman Coulter. Success often hinges on three pillars:

1. Breadth of assay menu

2. Throughput flexibility

3. Cost-per-test economics

Rather than overhauling its flagship VITROS platform, QuidelOrtho is augmenting its portfolio through partnership—an increasingly common strategy in the IVD space. Strategic supply agreements allow companies to plug portfolio gaps faster than in-house development cycles would allow.

The addition of 25-plus new assays not currently available on VITROS could prove particularly significant in specialty testing segments, where menu limitations can disqualify vendors from competitive bids.

A Portfolio Play, Not a Platform Replacement

Importantly, this agreement does not replace the VITROS system. Instead, it complements it. QuidelOrtho can now offer laboratories a more flexible mix of systems tailored to volume requirements and regional procurement dynamics.

For labs, that means:

• Broader menu coverage under a single commercial relationship

• Flexible system configurations

• Potentially improved cost structures

For QuidelOrtho, it means reduced exposure to menu gaps that previously limited competitiveness in international tenders.

What Comes Next

Execution will be key. Scaling new platforms across multiple regulatory environments—Europe, APAC, Latin America—requires coordinated regulatory approvals, supply chain alignment, and local service capabilities.

If successfully deployed, the partnership could materially strengthen QuidelOrtho’s standing in global immunoassay markets, particularly where cost efficiency and full-menu offerings are decisive.

At a time when laboratories face budget constraints but rising testing demands, the combination of scalability, expanded assay breadth, and cost optimization could prove compelling.

For both companies, this is more than a supply deal—it’s a calculated expansion strategy aimed at capturing growth where it’s happening fastest: outside the United States.

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