molecular diagnostics
PerkinElmer Acquires Chinese Nucleic Acid-Based Screening Company
PerkinElmer says it has completed its acquisition of Haoyuan Biotech Co., Ltd. for approximately $38 million in cash and future revenue-based considerations. Shanghai-based Haoyuan manufactures molecular infectious disease screening tests for blood banks and clinics. The acquisition gives PerkinElmer an additional four infectious disease assays approved by China’s State Food and Drug Administration. One of the diagnostics is a qualitative 3-in-1 assay for detecting hepatitis B (HBV),...
Multiplexed MDx Chip from Veredus Detects TB In Less Than Three Hours
Veredus Laboratories, a supplier of molecular diagnostic tools, has launched VereMTB, a multiplexed molecular diagnostic chip capable of fast and accurate detection of mycobacterium tuberculosis complex (MTBC) and its mutations, as well as nine other clinically relevant non-tubercular mycobacterium. These mutations are responsible for resistance to multiple drugs and are reinvigorating the global spread of tuberculosis.   Conventional methods of accurately identifying TB infections can...
Exonhit and InGen BioSciences Merge to Create Diaxonhit
Say “bonjour” to Diaxonhit. That’s the name of the new French IVD company that will debut with the upcoming merger of Exonhit and InGen BioSciences S.A. The Paris-based personalized medicine company announced November 6 that it has signed an agreement to purchase InGen for €18 million. Eight million euro of the purchase price will be in cash and the remainder will be in Exonhit stock issued to InGen shareholders. Pending the approval of Exonhit’s shareholders, the...
BD Diagnostics, Lab 21 to Develop Oncology Assays for BD Benchtop System
BD Diagnostics and Lab 21 will collaborate on the development of oncology assays for the BD MAX benchtop molecular system, the companies announced. Lab 21 will develop PCR-based assays on the BD MAX platform, and BD will manufacture and sell the tests worldwide. Focusing on cancer patients, the companies plan to design the first two assays to detect mutations in the KRAS and BRAF genes. The assay will be the first personalized cancer diagnostics test designed for the BD MAX system. The...
HiberGene Diagnostics Appoints CEO
HiberGene Diagnostics (Dublin) has announced the appointment of Tony Hill as CEO. Hill joins HiberGene from Innogenetics, an international diagnostics company, where he was global sales director. Prior to this, he was vice president at OraSure Technologies, notes a press release issued by the company.   HiberGene has developed a molecular diagnostic test for meningococcus and plans to develop a test for pneumococcal meningitis. Using a novel rapid amplification platform, the company...
Combining Bronchoscopy and Allegro Test Improves Lung Cancer Diagnoses, Company Reports
Clinical trial results show that combining the Allegro Diagnostics BronchoGen genomic test and standard bronchoscopy improves lung cancer diagnoses, the company announced during a conference presentation. Allegro presented the results of its AEGIS I trial October 23 at the 78th annual meeting of the American College of Chest Physicians in Atlanta. Based on the company’s molecular testing platform, BronchoGen uses gene expression of normal epithelial cells in the respiratory tract to help...
AutoGenomics Files for IPO Again
Molecular diagnostics company AutoGenomics has filed for an IPO in the United States, reports GenomeWeb and other media outlets. The company had previously filed for an IPO in July 2008 but withdrew the offering in May 2011. In its Form S-1 filed Wednesday with the SEC, the company said that it plans to raise as much as $65 million from the offering. It has not priced its shares or said how many it plans to offer. About $10 million of proceeds from the offering are expected to go toward...
Two German Firms to Jointly Develop Orthopedic Infection Assay
Two German companies will combine their respective business strengths to develop a pathogen-detection cartridge for diagnosing infections after hip surgery and other orthopedic procedures. The collaboration calls for Curetis AG and Heraeus Medical GmbH to jointly fund development of the Curetis Unyvero cartridge for detecting pathogens and antibiotic resistance in implant and tissue infections (ITI). Based in Hanau, Germany, Heraeus is a precious metals and technology company with expertise in...
Roche Cytomegalovirus Viral Load Test Approved by FDA
Roche announced today the commercial availability of a new test to assess a patient’s viral load of cytomegalovirus (CMV). Physicians use information from the test to help  manage patients who have been diagnosed with CMV disease, specifically patients with an immune system that has been suppressed in preparation for solid organ transplantation. The test received premarket approval from FDA in July of this year. “With this new test, diagnostic laboratories now have a...
Biogen Invests in Regulus’ Search for MS Biomarkers
The effort by Regulus Therapeutics to develop microRNA-based medicines for detecting multiple sclerosis biomarkers received a boost with Biogen Idec’s recent decision to invest an undisclosed sum in the biopharmaceutical company. In addition to the overall investment, Massachusetts-based Biogen will make upfront and milestone payments, according to Regulus. The companies believe that identifying microRNA biomarkers in the blood of MS patients will aid in selecting patients for...