Driving to a laboratory for blood testing may soon be a thing of the past. Babson Diagnostics Inc. just completed a pivotal study of its new system for collecting and analyzing blood from a finger prick at a pharmacy counter. The results indicate that the microsample system provides comparable results to phlebotomist-drawn venipuncture blood samples.

The implementation date for the European Union’s In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR) is a mere 16 months away, although there is widespread interest in a delayed implementation date. Nonetheless, Warren Jameson, principal regulatory consultant for North American Science Associates (NAMSA) of Toledo, Ohio, urged test makers to conduct a gap analysis of the conformity of their currently marketed tests to the new regulations because a large percentage of the underlying dossiers would not pass muster under the terms of the new regulatory regime.

HONG KONG – South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS) has greenlighted Seoul-based Vuno Inc.’s artificial intelligence (AI)-based solution Vuno Med Deepbrain for use as a class III medical device, which is a classification for moderate risk level devices. The MFDS approval was given on Dec. 29, 2021, a Vuno spokesperson told BioWorld, but the company only disclosed the approval earlier in the week. The reasons for the delayed announcement were not disclosed.

A green light from the U.S. FDA has significantly brightened Seno Medical Instruments Inc.’s image of its immediate future. The San Antonio-based company developed a novel breast cancer imaging technology that combines noninvasive opto-acoustic (OA) technology with ultrasound (US) to more accurately distinguish benign from malignant breast lesions following ambiguous mammography results.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded a contract for validation of lab-developed tests (LDTs) for the pandemic to a private company, a move that was apparently an effort to address the resource crunch at the U.S.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. has inked a definitive agreement to acquire Mesa Biotech Inc., a privately held molecular diagnostics company with a point-of-care (POC) platform, for approximately $450 million in cash. The scientific instruments and testing giant said it will pay an additional $100 million in cash upon the completion of certain milestones. The planned acquisition will expand Thermo Fisher’s franchise of diagnostic test options with a novel platform that enables nucleic acid polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing at the point of care.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) appears on the verge of expanding colorectal cancer screening to individuals ages 45 to 49, based on its latest draft recommendations. If it does, Exact Sciences Corp. is ready. A study in Cancer Prevention Research demonstrated that the Madison, Wis.-based company's Cologuard multitarget stool DNA test had better than 95% specificity in individuals with nonadvanced precancerous lesions or negative findings on colonoscopy.

Opticyte Inc., a medical device startup, is planning the first clinical trial of its cellular oxygen monitor, a new device that could help emergency physicians diagnose sepsis faster and prevent organ failure. The prospective, observational trial is set to launch in mid-2021.

Liquid biopsy startup Delfi Diagnostics Inc. scooped up $100 million in a series A round led by Orbimed Advisors LLC. The company will use the funds to grow its team of cancer researchers and machine learning experts and to validate its next-generation blood-based testing technology in prospective clinical trials. Existing investors Menlo Ventures, Samsara Biocapital, Illumina Ventures, Av8 Ventures also participated in the round, along with new investors Foresite Capital, Northpond Ventures, Cowen Healthcare Investments and Rock Springs Capital.