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In Brief This Week: Becton Dickinson, Interleukin Genetics, Novacyt, and Quest

NEW YORK (360Dx) – The US Food and Drug Administration has preliminarily found that test tubes from Becton Dickinson were not the cause of inaccurate blood-lead test results using Magellan Diagnostics tests and systems.

In the spring, the agency warned that blood-lead results conducted with equipment from Magellan were inaccurate. Prior to the warning, Magellan told its customers that the cause of the inaccurate results may have been blood collection tubes from BD. The FDA, however, said this week that after an inspection of BD’s Franklin Lakes, New Jersey facility, it has “not determined that the BD tubes or any other brand of tube is linked to the cause of the inaccurate lead test results. We are continuing to aggressively investigate the matter.”

The agency made several observations during its inspection of the BD facility, though, that may be violations of federal law and is reviewing the evidence to decide whether further action will be necessary, it said.


Interleukin Genetics has filed documents with the US Securities and Exchange Commission to complete the process of delisting and deregistering its securities. The Waltham, Massachusetts-based firm announced in late July that it would be liquidating its assets. That announcement followed plans by the firm to lay off 63 percent of its workforce and suspend sales of its genetic test for severe gum disease and elevated systemic inflammation.


Novacyt said that it had a net loss of €1.7 million ($2.0 million), or €.09 per share, for the first half of 2017. The firm previously reported a 40 percent year-over-year increase in its H1 revenues. Novacyt said that it had €2.6 million in cash and cash equivalents as of the end of June.


The board of directors of Quest Diagnostics declared a quarterly dividend of $.45 per common share. The dividend is payable on October 18, 2017 to shareholders of record on October 3, 2017.


In Brief This Week is a selection of news items that may be of interest to our readers but had not previously appeared on the 360Dx site.