Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics Launches the DCA Vantage Analyzer for Point-of-care Diabetes Management

Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics (www.siemens.com/diagnostics) today announced the launch of the DCA Vantage(TM) Analyzer, a point-of-care (POC) diabetes patient management platform providing glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), Microalbumin/Creatinine and Albumin-to-Creatinine tests for diabetes management. The DCA Vantage Analyzer is critical for monitoring a patient's glycemic control and helps physicians to encourage patient compliance by delivering actionable test results during a patient visit. The system delivers the simplicity and convenience required at the point of care with no sample or reagent preparation steps. The DCA Vantage Analyzer has been launched in Europe. The product is pending FDA clearance and is not yet available for in vitro diagnostic use in the US.

„The DCA Vantage Analyzer builds on the proven technology and performance of its predecessor, the DCA 2000+ while adding new capabilities our customers need in their daily practice,“ said Arnd Kaldowski, senior vice president, Point of Care Business, Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics. „Siemens strives to continuously deliver systems that provide tests with proven clinical benefit and that fulfill the needs of our customers concerning ease of use and data management in the point-of-care setting. We are confident that this product solidifies our leadership position in point-of-care diabetes testing and will help continue to drive testing closer to the patient.“

The DCA Vantage Analyzer enables clinicians to provide early detection of kidney disease, the most common complication in patients with diabetes. In addition, there is an onboard Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) calculator to assist in kidney disease staging.

With the new DCA Vantage Analyzer, physicians can enter a patient ID via touch screen or barcode, view the on-board printed reports and HbA1c patient trending graphs, and easily download the patient results to an external healthcare information technology (HIT) system. For testing sites that require compliance and control of decentralized testing, powerful features such as connectivity to LIS, operator ID entry, QC reminders, test lock-out, remote access, and adjustable correlation to reference methods are available. Other unique features include the ability to adjust correlation parameters in order to match reference assays or standardize results over multiple systems.

The DCA Vantage Analyzer's flexible data management enhancements and testing compliance capabilities help boost productivity by providing speedy access to patient data. The system is network-ready and test results can be shared within the office, clinic or among coordinated POC sites. These benefits translate to the physician's ability to have productive discussions with patients during their visits and ability to positively impact everything from patient compliance to treatment regimen.

Simple, convenient testing is enabled by an intuitive color touch screen display. The operator loads the test cartridge which includes the patient sample onto the system and walks away. The system automatically performs the test procedure, stores the patient results and displays, prints and/or uploads patient results to the LIS/HIS.

The DCA platform delivers proven performance documented in over 100 clinical articles and boosts clinical confidence.

About Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics

Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics offers a broad portfolio of performance-driven diagnostic solutions that assist in the diagnosis, monitoring and management of disease. The company's products and services bring together the right balance of science, technology, and practicality across the healthcare continuum to empower medical professionals with the vital information they need to deliver better, more personalized healthcare to patients around the globe. Visit www.siemens.com/diagnostics.

About Siemens Medical Solutions

Siemens Medical Solutions of Siemens AG (NYSE: SI) is one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry. The company is known for bringing together innovative medical technologies, healthcare information systems, management consulting, and support services, to help customers achieve tangible, sustainable, clinical and financial outcomes. Recent acquisitions in the area of in-vitro diagnostics – such as Diagnostic Products Corporation and Bayer Diagnostics – mark a significant milestone for Siemens as it becomes the first full service diagnostics company. Employing more than 41,000 people worldwide and operating in over 130 countries, Siemens Medical Solutions reported sales of 8.23 billion EUR, orders of 9.33 billion EUR and group profit of 1.06 billion EUR for fiscal 2006 (Sept. 30). Further information can be found by visiting www.usa.siemens.com/medical-pressroom.