Prenetics Ltd. is working with Oxford University researchers again to develop molecular diagnostic testing for the new COVID-19 variants, six months after it acquired Oxsed Ltd., a University of Oxford University spinoff to enable rapid airport testing. On April 19, Hong Kong-based Prenetics inked a multimillion-dollar partnership with the University of Oxford and Oxford Suzhou Center for Advanced Research (OSCAR) to upgrade the molecular testing technology Oxlamp for infectious diseases.

PARIS – Roche SAS, the French division of Swiss pharmaceuticals manufacturer Roche Holding AG, has signed a partnership with Unicancer that brings together all the cancer centers in France. They have created Oncodatahub (ODH), the first real-world cancer data platform in France. This makes a set of quality, longitudinal data representative of cancer patient care in France available to all those involved in the health care ecosystem.

Endologix LLC said Tuesday that it has completed the acquisition of Pq Bypass Inc., a privately held company developing a novel technology for treating severe peripheral artery disease (PAD). Pq Bypass’ Detour system is currently being studied in a U.S. and European clinical trial, DETOUR2.

Consolidation in diagnostics continues apace, with Diasorin SpA set to take over Luminex Corp. in an all-cash deal that values the multiplex diagnostics and molecular testing specialist at $1.8 billion. At $37 per share, the price is a 23% premium to the Luminex (NASDAQ:LMNX) share price on Feb. 23, which is when rumors of the acquisition began to circulate, and 12% above the close last Friday, April 8.

Microsoft Corp. will purchase Nuance Communications Inc. for $19.7 billion in cash in a move that demonstrates a massive commitment to building out the Microsoft Cloud for Healthcare reported in late 2020. The acquisition, which is expected to close by the end of 2021, doubles the Redmond, Wash.-based company’s total addressable market in the health care provider space, bringing it to nearly $500 billion. The size of the transaction is notable even for a company with the active acquisition history of Microsoft.

While strong financial markets could create merger and acquisition headwinds for med tech, the volume of both M&As and deals are rising above each of the prior three years, indicating a growing industry interest that is not always clear in the financials.

The FDA has its hands full with the impact of the mutations to the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but test developers can count on an ever-increasing base of data for those viruses thanks to a new contract taken by the CDC. The CDC indicated recently that its sequencing efforts and that of other organizations churned out nearly 14,000 sequences for the week of April 3, but Aegis Sciences Corp., of Nashville, Tenn., announced April 7 that it had undertaken an agreement to perform next-generation sequencing of samples from all 50 states and Puerto Rico, ensuring plenty of access to up-to-date information on those mutations.

Hologic Inc. is tucking in yet another diagnostics manufacturer, this time with the acquisition of Mobidiag Oy for approximately $795 million. The privately held Finnish-French company develops and markets polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based tests for acute care testing such as gastrointestinal and respiratory infections, antimicrobial resistance management and health care-associated infections.

Pixium Vision SA reported that its merger with Second Sight Medical Products Inc. has foundered. The combination would have eased Paris-based Pixium’s entry into the U.S. market and Sylmar, Calif.-based Second Sight’s access to the European market, which Pixium has previously opposed, and enabled them to jointly develop and market neuromodulation devices that restore some degree of vision to the blind. The deal had been expected to close early in the second quarter of 2021.

Invitae Corp. has inked a definitive agreement to acquire Genosity Inc., a genomics company with a technology platform for next-generation sequencing (NGS) assays, for approximately $200 million in cash and stock. Separately, the medical genetic testing company reported a $1.15 billion investment, led by Softbank Group subsidiary SB Management, to support ongoing growth initiatives. San Francisco-based Invitae expects the Genosity platform to accelerate the development and launch of its oncology products, including three tests that won FDA breakthrough device designation.