Fluidigm (South San Francisco, California) says it is continuing its strategy of delivering disruptive single-cell analysis capabilities to life science researchers around the world through its planned acquisition of DVS Sciences (Sunnyvale, California). The transaction will create a "single-cell technology powerhouse," the company said.
There have been a number of new treatments for multiple sclerosis (MS) patients over the last couple of decades, but diagnostic tools in the MS space has lagged behind, at least when it comes to measuring biofluids to confirm suspected MS based on MRI images. One company, DioGenix (Gaithersburg, Maryland), thinks it has found an easier way to identify patients with MS at first clinical presentation, and also rule out MS for patients who don't have the disease.
Innovation is "very often messy," according to Daniel Starks, president/CEO of St. Jude Medical (St. Paul, Minnesota). During the company's most recent earnings call, Starks made a point to reiterate St. Jude's commitment to the global renal denervation space in spite of recent bumps in the road for the U.S. renal denervation market.
Quest Diagnostics (Madison, New Jersey) says it will acquire Solstas Lap Partners Group (Greensboro, North Carolina) and its subsidiaries for about $570 million. Solstas is a portfolio company of Welsh, Carson, Anderson and Stowe, a private equity firm specializing in information/business services and healthcare businesses.
SAN FRANCISCO — There seems to be two categories of people who flock to the annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference. The people who use the giant corporate healthcare circus-like event as a convenient time to have meetings with prospective investors or clients, and the people who actually manage to snag tickets to get into the conference. And of course there are a healthy mix of people who straddle the line between both categories.
SAN FRANCISCO — Jamie Dimon, chairman/CEO of JPMorgan Chase, the country's largest bank by assets, says he tells his kids to "react to reality quickly." He offered the same advice to CEOs attending the 32nd annual J.P. Morgan Healthcare Conference in San Francisco this week. Dimon is well-versed in dealing with business crises, particularly in light of his bank's involvement in Bernard Madoff's Ponzi scheme.
