LONDON – Lateral flow diagnostics specialist Mologic Ltd. has teamed up with Biosure Ltd., manufacturer of the only CE approved HIV home testing kit, to produce a COVID-19 antibody self-test. The companies are combining Mologic’s validated IgG antibody lateral flow strip with Biosure’s test kit, and say the product will be ready for mass production at the beginning of June.

Digital therapeutics have had a tough time gaining traction in the last few years. They’ve been hampered by sometimes reluctant payers, providers and regulators who lack familiarity with the approach, which typically employs an app or other technology to treat a patient by supporting behavioral adjustments.

Brisbane, Calif.-based Caredx Inc. has reported a strategic alliance with Weill Cornell Medicine that makes the company the exclusive development and commercialization partner for Uromap, a urine-based gene-expression test for acute cellular rejection in kidney transplant recipients.

The restrictions on elective surgeries as hospitals struggle to manage the unfolding global pandemic are hitting medical device companies particularly hard. Abiomed Inc., which specializes in a tiny, minimally invasive heart pump to support heart failure patients, saw its first fiscal fourth-quarter revenue flatten as procedures were postponed. Still, U.S. revenue remained stronger than Wall Street had expected, even as ex-U.S. revenue had deeper declines.

LONDON – Leading genome sequencing groups are launching the first meta-analysis in the hunt for genetic factors that explain why some people have worse COVID-19 symptoms than others, after agreeing to share patient sequence data from around the world. The COVID-19 Host Genetics Initiative (CHGI), set up by scientists at the Institute for Molecular Medicine Finland (FIMM), now includes 151 registered studies that are searching for genetic variation associated with severity and outcomes.

Biofourmis Inc. has acquired Los Angeles-based Gaido Health from Takeda Pharmaceuticals in a move designed to significantly expand the company's oncology offerings. Gaido Health's solution will be integrated into Boston-based Biofourmis' Biovitals platform, enhancing its ability to remotely monitor oncology patients at home using a single sensor.

Informed Data Systems Inc., doing business as One Drop, purchased the assets and intellectual property of Sano Intelligence Inc. for an undisclosed amount. San Francisco-based Sano has been developing a wearable continuous glucose sensor that enables users to track blood glucose levels and other blood chemistry via a smart phone app for nearly a decade. One Drop will integrate the stick-on device into its personalized digital care program for diabetics and people with other chronic conditions.

LONDON – These are hardly times for a fanfare, but this month saw the unveiling of a new name in bioprocessing, following the formal closing of the $21.4 billion sale of GE Healthcare’s Life Sciences to Danaher Corp. The business, now renamed Cytiva, has turnover of $3.3 billion, nearly 7,000 employees and operations in 40 countries. More than 75% of FDA-approved biologic drugs use its products in their manufacture.

A flurry of deal and M&A activity in the med-tech industry during the first quarter of 2020 has not translated into high financials, as many of the transactions are not disclosing terms. While the COVID-19 pandemic rages on, business development activities appear to be slumping in recent weeks, leaving the early part of the year significantly down from prior quarters.

Warsaw, Ind.-based Orthopediatrics Corp. is scooping up Apifix Ltd., allowing it to gain the Minimally Invasive Deformity Correction (MID-C) system, which is used to treat adolescent idiopathic scoliosis. BTIG’s Ryan Zimmerman noted that the deal has a potential value of $67 million plus potential future revenue milestones. “The initial upfront payment has a ~$37 [million] value, composed of $2 million in cash and ~935k shares of common stock,” he added.