Hologic (HOLX) said Wednesday it is working with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to develop reagents for laboratory tests aimed at detecting the H5N1 bird flu virus.

Financial terms were not provided.

The company said the agreement will fund the initial development of analyte-specific reagents, which are components for laboratory-developed tests. The reagents will be designed for use on Hologic's Panther Fusion system, it added.

While the reagents are not currently intended for commercial distribution, the company may consider commercialization if rapid H5N1 testing becomes necessary, Hologic said.