CYBERSPACE – Data presented at the virtual 2020 Alzheimer's Association International Conference (AAIC) and reported in the July 28, 2020, online issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) demonstrated that blood levels of phosphorylated tau-217 (Ptau-217) did as well as cerebrospinal (CSF)- and PET-based biomarkers, and significantly better than other blood-based biomarkers, at discriminating individuals with Alzheimer’s disease (AD) from those with other neurodegenerative disorders. Read More
The U.S. Senate Finance Committee held the first of its two hearings on the supply chains for a variety of products vital to the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. While electoral politics were on full display during the hearing, a recurrent theme was the need to bring supply chains back to the Western Hemisphere as a solution to the fraudulent products shipped to the U.S. from Hong Kong and China. Read More
Indigo Diabetes NV is working to develop a next-generation continuous glucose monitor (CGM) that would be much simpler and easier to use routinely, potentially making it more useful for a much larger population. It has just raised a €38 million ($44.5 million) series B financing to support that effort. Read More
Diagnostics testing company Laboratory Corp. of America Holdings Inc. (Labcorp) saw its second-quarter revenue decline by 4% to $2.8 billion, but that still beat the Street consensus of $2.5 billion. Diagnostics revenue fell 3.9% year over year to $1.7 billion, but that was offset by solid demand for the company’s COVID-19 tests. Read More
Thermo Fisher Scientific expanded its Globalaccess Sequencing Program to include oncology laboratories in addition to research labs working on COVID-19 studies. The company will subsidize a limited number of Genexus systems to help pathology laboratories around the world. Read More
By deleting the gene for uridine monophosphate synthetase (UMPS), an enzyme in the pathway for uridine synthesis, researchers have made cells, including embryonic stem cells and T cells, dependent on dietary uridine. The work, which was published in the July 13, 2020, online issue of Nature Biotechnology, adds a new potential way of controlling cell therapies. Read More
New hires and promotions in the med-tech industry, including: Clinical Genomics, Covera Health, Experion Holdings, Meridian Bioscience, Mimedx Group, Phreesia, Sensus Healthcare, Tecan Group, Varex Imaging. Read More
Med-tech firms raising money in public or private financings, including: Bioaffinity Technologies, Nano-X Imaging, Nemaura Medical, Sequana Medical. Read More
Med-tech happenings, including deals and partnerships, grants, preclinical data and other news in brief: Aegea Biotechnologies, Aminoverse, Bioivt, Ciox Health, Cytosorbents, Datos Health, Edifecs, Exagen, Guided Therapeutics, Heart Health Intelligence, Hims & Hers, Ireceptor Plus, Medal, Midwest Institute for Minimally Invasive Therapies, Neuroone Medical Technologies, Orbis Diagnostics, Osi Systems, Saykara, Tauriga Sciences, Truework, Tscan, Twist Bioscience, Vaica Medical. Read More
Regulatory snapshots, including global submissions and approvals, clinical trial approvals and other regulatory decisions and designations: Neocis, Nowdiagnostics. Read More
Keeping you up to date on recent developments in oncology, including: ctDNA associated with poor outcomes in triple-negative breast cancer; Protons beat IMRT for locally advanced esophageal cancer; Study affirms cancer patients avoiding clinical care. Read More
