Orion said today that it plans to sell its Orion Diagnostica division to an investment fund managed by Axcel Management for $200 million. The Finland-based company said its diagnostic unit operates independently from its pharmaceutical business and that the two groups have “material business synergies.” “The sale of the division will allow us to further […]
Diagnostics
Curetis launches diagnostic cartridge for urinary tract infection
Curetis said today that it won CE-IVD marking for its Unyvero cartridge designed to diagnose severe urinary tract infections. The cartridge covers 103 diagnostic targets and can detect 88 pathogens, according to Curetis, including a multi-drug-resistant pathogenic fungus that is of particular concern to hospitalized patients with compromised immune systems. Unyvero UTI can also detect […]
Medtech stories we missed this week: April 20, 2018
From CHF Solutions’ new Italian distribution deal to Masimo’s CE Mark approval, here are five medtech stories we missed this week but thought were still worth mentioning. 1. CHF Solutions signs Italian distribution deal CHF Solutions announced in an April 17 press release that it has signed a new distribution agreement with TRX Italy to distribute […]
Qiagen wins FDA nod for point-of-care PartoSure test
Qiagen (NYSE:QGEN) today touted the FDA’s approval of its PartoSure diagnostic test, designed to assess the risk of spontaneous preterm birth in patients with symptoms of preterm labor. The non-invasive strip test detects placental alpha microglobulin-1 and can provide results in less than five minutes, according to Germany-based Qiagen. Beyond the company’s U.S. regulatory win, PartoSure […]
Quest Diagnostics posts mixed Q1
Shares in Quest Diagnostics (NYSE:DGX) held steady today after the company met earnings expectations on Wall Street but missed analysts’ sales estimates with its first-quarter results. The Secaucus, N.J.-based company posted profits of $177 million, or $1.27 per share, on sales of $1.88 million for the 3 months ended March 31, for bottom-line growth of 7.9% […]
Bristol-Myers Squibb, Illumina to develop companion diagnostics for immunotherapies
Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY) is joining forces with Illumina (NSDQ:ILMN) to develop and commercialize diagnostic tests to support Bristol’s portfolio of cancer drugs. The companies announced last week that they plan to develop an assay to measure predictive genomic biomarkers, like tumor mutation burden, that could help doctors identify patients that will benefit from Bristol’s immunotherapies. “Through our […]
Confer Health raises $9.5m for fertility diagnostic
Confer Health said today that it raised $9.5 million to support its development of affordable, at-home diagnostic devices featuring interchangeable cartridges, a reusable analyzer and a mobile app. The Boston, Mass.-based company’s first urine-based diagnostic test is designed to help couples conceive by tracking three fertility hormones. Confer added that it is also developing an at-home […]
Qiagen launches liquid biopsy tests for lung, prostate cancer
Qiagen (NYSE:QGEN) today launched two liquid biopsy panels designed to evaluate circulating tumor cells isolated from a patient’s blood samples. The company’s lung and prostate cancer diagnostic tests will be introduced at the annual meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research in Chicago, according to Qiagen. “Our AdnaTest liquid biopsy-based portfolio now offers molecular […]
FDA issues draft guidance for the use of diagnostics in cancer drug trials
The FDA issued draft guidance this week describing a streamlined submission process to determine whether using an in vitro diagnostic in a cancer drug’s clinical trial poses a significant or nonsignificant risk. The agency wrote that sponsor should use the proposed pathway when possible “to reduce administrative burden on sponsors and FDA and to maintain […]
FDA requests more info for TearLab’s eye diagnostic tech
TearLab Corp. (OTC:TEAR) said today that the FDA told the company it needs more information regarding its 510(k) application for the TearLab Discovery platform and test card designed to measure an inflammatory biomarker found in tears. The U.S. regulatory agency specifically took issue with the FDA-cleared predicated that TearLab chose to establish substantial equivalence. The company […]