PARIS – Whitelab Genomics SAS has signed a partnership agreement with Genethon, a French research center in the field of gene therapy, to ramp up development of genetic therapy techniques using artificial intelligence (AI). As part of this partnership, Genethon will use the Whitelab Genomics Catalyst platform to develop new capsids.

Via Surgical Ltd. has secured an investment from Taiwanese manufacturer Catcher Technology Co. Ltd. to bring its Fastouch deployable suture fixation system that assists hernia repair to Asia.

A new multilateral working group could bring deeper scrutiny to biopharma mergers, both past and future. The group, made up of competition experts from Canada, the EU, U.K. and U.S., is taking on the job of identifying fresh approaches to analyze and address the competitive concerns raised by biopharma M&As.

Roche Holding AG will acquire Genmark Diagnostics Inc. for $24.05 per share in cash for a total of $1.8 billion on a fully diluted basis. The transaction will give Basel, Switzerland-based Roche access to Genmark’s molecular diagnostics portfolio. The deal is expected to close in the second quarter of 2021. The price represents a 43% premium on the Carlsbad, Calif.-headquartered diagnostics company’s share price as of Feb. 10, prior to media speculation about a potential acquisition.

Less than six years after acquiring Cordis Corp. from Johnson & Johnson, Cardinal Health Inc. is selling the troubled cardiovascular device manufacturer to private equity firm Hellman & Friedman LLC for roughly $1 billion. Shares of the medical products and drugs distributor (NYSE:CAH) were up 2.93% to $57.35 at close on Friday.

PERTH, Australia – Genetic Technologies Ltd. signed a co-exclusive licensing deal with U.S.-based central lab Infinity Biologix LLC (IBX) for the production, sale and distribution of Genetic Technology’s COVID-19 serious disease risk test in the U.S. Branded as Genetype, the genotyping test combines a patient’s clinical profile with their genetic information to compute a patient’s risk of developing severe disease from COVID-19.

Boston Scientific Corp. has inked an agreement with an affiliate of Baring Private Equity Asia to acquire the global surgical business of Lumenis Ltd. for $1.07 billion up front. The med-tech giant has had a relationship with Lumenis for more than two decades and currently sells its urology laser portfolio in the U.S. and Japan. The transaction, expected to close in the second half of the year, expands Marlborough, Mass.-based Boston Scientific’s global urology footprint.

Agilent Technologies Inc. will acquire Resolution Bioscience Inc. for $550 million in cash at closing and up to an additional $145 million based on performance milestones. The deal will expand Agilent’s cancer diagnostics offerings and its presence in next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology for the fast-growing precision medicine market. The acquisition is expected to close in April 2021.

HONG KONG – Looking to improve treatment outcomes for Alzheimer’s patients, Shanghai-based Luye Pharma Group has inked a deal to hand the Japanese rights for its leading treatment to Japan’s Towa Pharmaceutical Co. Ltd. Made through Luye’s subsidiary Luye Pharma Switzerland AG, the agreement gives Towa the exclusive rights for the development and commercialization of the Rivastigmine multi-day transdermal patch (Rivastigmine MD) in Japan.

Hologic Inc. continues to strengthen its diagnostics businesses via tuck-ins, this time with the acquisition of Diagenode SA for $159 million. The Belgium-based developer of molecular assays and epigenetics products counts more than 30 real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests in its portfolio. Marlborough, Mass.-based Hologic has been on a spending spree in recent months. In January, the company completed the acquisition of Somatex Medical Technologies GmbH for about $64 million and agreed to buy molecular diagnostics company Biotheranostics Inc. for $230 million.