NEW YORK – Novacyt said this week it has completed its acquisition of Yourgene. The £16.7 million ($20.8 million) all cash deal was originally announced in July. UK-based Novacyt said at the time that the deal would support the expansion of its product portfolio and geographic footprint and specifically noted Yourgene's Ranger technology for target DNA arrangement, and its noninvasive prenatal testing and PCR offerings. Yourgene's former Chairman John Brown and former CEO Lyn Rees will join Novacyt's board as a non-executive and executive director, respectively. Initially they will be non-voting members, then as full members upon shareholder ratification at the next annual general meeting, Novacyt said.
Devyser and Thermo Fisher Scientific this week agreed to include Brazil in their exclusive distribution agreement for Devyser’s post-transplant NGS product portfolio. In addition to North America and Europe, Thermo Fisher will now also exclusively market and sell Devyser’s transplantation products under combined brands in Brazil.
Guardant Health said this week that Geisinger Health Plan now covers its Guardant Reveal minimal residual disease test. The assay, which detects circulating tumor DNA in blood samples, is intended to help oncologists identify cancer patients with residual or recurring disease — after initial surgery or other treatment — who may benefit most from adjuvant therapy or surveillance. It is the first blood-only liquid biopsy test commercially available for MRD testing. Specifically, Geisinger will cover testing for individuals with stage II or III colorectal cancer after curative-intent treatment. The frequency of testing covered is aligned with monitoring guidelines established by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network for colorectal cancer, which includes an initial ctDNA test four to six weeks after surgery or two to four weeks after completion of systemic therapy, and follow-up tests every three to six months for the first two years and every six to 12 months for the following three years.
Liquid biopsy firm Angle said this week that its unaudited interim half-year revenues were £1.2 million ($1.5 million) compared to approximately £419,000 in the same period last year. Product-related revenue represented £800,000 during H1 2023, compared to about £300,000 in H1 2022. Angle said the installed base for its Parsortix systems has reached over 290 with more than 190,000 cumulative samples processed as of June 30. Services-related revenues, meanwhile, were approximately £400,000, up from around £100,000 in the same period of 2022. The company's net loss for the first half of 2023 was £9.8 million, or £.0377 per share, compared to a loss of £9.2 million, or £.0392 per share, in H1 2022. Angle ended the half with cash and cash equivalents totaling £22.2 million.
Claremont BioSolutions will distribute point-of-care test development firm Gold Colloid's gold nanoparticles under a deal announced this week. The nanoparticles are used in applications such as diagnostics, biosensing, and bioimaging, La Mesa, California-based Gold Colloid said. Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed. Headquartered in Upland, California, Claremont BioSolutions provides products for molecular diagnostics and bioscience research.
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