Cambridge, Mass.-based Relay Therapeutics Inc. has signed a lucrative worldwide license and collaboration agreement with Genentech, a member of the Roche Group, for the development and commercialization of its compound, RLY-1971, a potent inhibitor of Src homology region 2 domain-containing phosphatase-2 (SHP2) that is being investigated in a phase I dose-escalation study in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues into the fall, Roche Group is planning to launch its latest tool later this month. And while its SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Antigen Test will be available in markets accepting the CE mark, the company is expecting the filing for emergency use authorization (EUA) from the U.S. FDA. Roche’s test is a rapid chromatographic immunoassay intended for the qualitative detection of a specific antigen of SARS-CoV-2 present in human nasopharynx.

The U.S. FDA has given the green light to Roche Group for its Cobas HIV-1/HIV-2 Qualitative test for use on Cobas 6800 and 8800 systems. The test is the first FDA-approved, fully automated polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test that detects and differentiates between human deficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and HIV-2, as well including claims for pregnant women and children.

The first wave of biosimilars began lapping at U.S. shores five years ago when the FDA approved Sandoz Inc.’s Zarxio on March 6, 2015, giving it a label identical to that of its reference biologic, Amgen Inc.’s Neupogen (filgrastim). But the tsunami of biosimilars, and the multibillion dollars of savings they were expected to bring, has yet to wash ashore.

With an eye toward helping those with early stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), Basel, Switzerland-based Roche Group has won a breakthrough device designation from the U.S. FDA for the Elecsys GALAD score. When combined with ultrasound, the Elecsys GALAD score aims to help provide more accurate information for clinicians to treat patients at an earlier stage.