Dermasensor Inc. received U.S. FDA clearance for its non-invasive skin cancer evaluation device that provides quantitative identification of all skin cancer types at the point of care and within seconds. The point-and-click device is designed to facilitate detection of skin cancers by primary care physicians (PCPs) and speed the time to diagnosis and treatment.
A landmark, real-world study in the U.K. has demonstrated that combining whole genome sequencing with clinical data enabled tailored cancer treatment and improved outcomes. At one health care center, having DNA sequence data led to changes from usual standard of care in 25% of cases. “Mostly, [patients] got into clinical trials; some got medicines they wouldn’t have got. Others avoided medicines because their genetic make-up suggested that if they were exposed to the medicines, they would be at risk of harm,” said Mark Caulfield, professor of clinical pharmacology at Queen Mary University of London, who is co-author of a paper outlining the findings in Nature Medicine, Jan 11, 2024.
Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH partnered with Newcastle University and the University of Edinburgh to fund a £30 million (US$38 million) study into liver cirrhosis in a bid to provide scientists with new insights into liver health. The partners hope that the study will not only enhance the understanding of nonalcoholic or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (NASH/MASH) cirrhosis, but also help identify translational biomarkers using a cutting-edge approach called single-cell RNA sequencing to accelerate the development of future therapies.
Veracyte Inc. revealed plans to buy C2i Genomics Inc. at the J.P. Morgan Health Care Conference in San Francisco on Jan. 8, a move that will significantly expand its portfolio of cancer diagnostic and monitoring assays. The terms include $70 million in Veracyte shares to be paid at closing plus an addition $25 million payable in cash or Veracyte shares over the next two years if C2i achieves certain performance milestones.
Echoing trends seen last year, the med-tech industry concluded 2023 with a continued surge in deal value juxtaposed against a more substantial decline in M&A value. Deal value for the year, including licensings, collaborations and joint ventures, reached $10.63 billion from 1,656 deals, the highest annual value in BioWorld’s records.
Natera Inc., said it has won a preliminary injunction against Neogenomics Inc., which halts any distribution of the latter’s RaDaR (Residual Disease and Recurrence) assay for detection of residual cancer DNA. The matter is anything but closed, and Neogenomics stated that it will appeal the decision, suggesting that this dispute will roll into and play out through much of 2024.
MLA Diagnostics BV secured a strategic seven-figure investment in its recent investment round to support external validation of the company’s melanoma prognosis test. Co-founders NLC Health Ventures and Brightlands Life Sciences Ventures participated in the round along with LIOF, the regional development organization for the Limburg province of the Netherlands.
Carthera SA received an additional €4.5 million (US$4.9 million) from investors to take its series B funding round to €42 million despite a tough fundraising environment for med-tech companies. Frédéric Sottilini, CEO of Carthera, told BioWorld that the strong investor interest was testament to their confidence in the company’s Sonocloud technology for brain disorder treatment.
Akadeum Life Sciences Inc. hopes to transform the world of cell therapy with the Alerion cell separation system, which it plans to launch in the next 12 months, Brandon McNaughton, founder and CEO of Akadeum, told BioWorld. The instrument will provide a closed system for separating T cells from a leukopak using Akadeum’s buoyancy-activated cell-sorting (BACS) microbubble technology.
Angle plc’s Parsortix system, which captures and harvest circulating tumor cells (CTCs) for liquid biopsy analysis, has been used in breakthrough work by researchers at the University of New Mexico looking into the role of CTC gene expression in the progression of melanoma brain metastasis. The researchers used the Parsortix system to harvest CTCs for analysis and concluded that “… gene expression in CTCs could be pivotal to prescribing more targeted treatment based on the needs of the patient.”