An unspecified Big Pharma firm hired Pacific Biometrics to help test an arthritis therapy during late-stage clinical trials, the Seattle company said Wednesday.

The contract is worth an estimated $610,000, Pacific Biometrics said in a news release. The company expects to complete the testing in the third quarter.

Pacific Biometrics specializes in laboratory work and contract research during human clinical trials of biotech and pharmaceutical companies' therapies.

The contract "should have a meaningful impact on our fiscal 2008 financial results," Ron Helm, chief executive of Pacific Biometrics said in a statement.