Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has agreed to acquire The Binding Site Group (BSG) from a shareholder consortium in a $2.6 billion cash transaction that folds in neatly with Thermo Fisher’s existing product portfolio. The acquisition should be completed in the first half of 2023, but while the news had only a modest effect on Thermo’s share prices, this transaction should boost adjusted earnings per share by seven cents in the first full year after the transaction has closed.

The in vitro diagnostics industry has turned in an impressive response to the COVID-19 pandemic, but a few problems are bound to surface. The U.S. FDA reported May 10 that the Accula test by San Diego-based Mesa Biotech Inc. has been recalled due to contamination of test materials at the manufacturing site, a problem that could lead to false negative findings with the test.

The emergence of the Omicron variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus has sparked a vigorous reaction around the globe, which in the U.S. includes steps taken by the Biden administration to ensure that the roughly 100 million people who have received an initial vaccination regime will receive a booster if eligible. The administration also reported Dec. 2 that it will take steps to ensure that home testing will be covered by private payers, all of which amounts to a massive boost in business for manufacturers of vaccines and tests despite concerns about how the Omicron variant might affect vaccine and test performance.

It may be a small country, but Lithuania has lofty ambitions. The Baltic country is emerging as one of Europe’s rising life science stars, with annual growth of 22% and targeting 5% of its GDP to be generated by the life sciences sector in 2030. Export of medical devices has also doubled since 2008, with majority of the country’s production reaching the U.K., France, Russia, Spain and the U.S.

Takeda Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. has grabbed a slice of the non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) market, becoming the first company to gain FDA approval for an oral drug targeted against a rare form of the disease.

The FDA’s emergency use authorization (EUA) program is still active in the area of tests and test kits, which is due in part by the emergence of the Delta variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus and the associated warnings that the effectiveness of vaccines may be declining. One example of the sustained emphasis on testing is the EUA granted to Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. for two PCR test kits that can detect the latest variants of the virus, a demonstration that the demand for these updated tests seems unlikely to ebb anytime soon.

With the U.S. launch of the first deployable airborne COVID-19 detection system, Bioflyte Inc. is working to provide effective ways to sample the air and deliver results within an hour. The Sentinel integrated solution aims to prevent widespread infection in schools and workplaces.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has launched a surveillance system that can detect SARS-CoV-2 in ambient air in indoor spaces, providing a potential complement to individual testing and other COVID-19 safety protocols. The system, called the Aerosolsense Sampler, works by capturing a sample of the ambient air on a cartridge using Thermo Fisher’s collection substrate.

HONG KONG – Wuxi Diagnostic Investment (Cayman) Ltd. has raised $150 million in a series B financing round, while netting a number of new investors along the way. The new investors to come on board include Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Shiyu Capital, ABC International Holdings Ltd., Sunland Capital and CCBI Tech Venture.