Phillips, Johnson & Johnson Forge Partnership to Design Handheld Blood Test

Philips and Johnson & Johnson’s Janssen Pharmaceutica unit have entered into an agreement to develop a handheld blood test aimed at increasing the quality of care for patients suffering from neuropsychiatric disorders.

The deal stipulates that Philips will develop and manufacture the test while Janssen oversees clinical studies and markets the final product.

Philips’ Minicare I-20 blood test system, which is under development, will serve as the basis for the new handheld blood test. As designed, Minicare will be able to detect target molecules at low blood sample concentrations and display the findings on an analyzer screen in minutes, Philips said Wednesday.

The deal — to be funded with money from Philips’ lighting unit spinoff — underscores the Dutch company’s increasing focus on healthcare. On Monday, Philips announced a joint development agreement with the Mount Sinai Health System to create a digital image repository containing patients’ tissue samples and data analytics. — Jason Scott