The European Commission has awarded the CE mark to Hologic Inc. for its Genius Digital Diagnostics system for cervical cancer screening. According to the company, it is the first digital cytology platform to combine a new artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm with advanced digital imaging to assist cytotechnologists and pathologists in detecting precancerous lesions and malignant cells in women.

In a controversial move, the American Cancer Society (ACS) recently recommended that people with a cervix should have a primary human papillomavirus (HPV) test every five years starting from age 25 to 65 to screen for cervical cancer. The recommendations displace the Papanicolaou (Pap) test that has formed the backbone of cancer screening for decades and extend the time between tests by two years.

Becton, Dickinson and Co. (BD) has received a green light for a premarket approval supplement from the U.S. FDA for an expanded version of its BD Onclarity HPV assay. It includes the expansion for genotype reporting beyond human papilloma virus (HPV) genotypes 16, 18, and 45.

BEIJING – Pre-revenue Chinese biotech Akeso Inc., of Zhongshan, Guangdong province, launched a high-profile IPO on April 24 in Hong Kong to reap HK$2.4 billion (US$314 million), even though the economy is taking a hard hit from the COVID-19 pandemic. The proceeds will help advance its PD-1/CTLA4 bispecific antibody for cervical cancer, aiming to be on the market by late 2021. Backed by Morgan Stanley and J.P. Morgan, the bispecific antibody specialist issued around 159.5 million shares at HK$16.18 per share, representing the top end of the indicative range. The IPO received an overwhelming response from retail investors, with shares significantly oversubscribed by 639.2 times.

BEIJING – Pre-revenue Chinese biotech Akeso Inc., of Zhongshan, Guangdong province, launched a high-profile IPO on April 24 in Hong Kong to reap HK$2.4 billion (US$314 million), even though the economy is taking a hard hit from the COVID-19 pandemic.