NEW YORK – Quest Diagnostics said in its recent 10-K filing with the US Securities and Exchange Commission that it paid $111 million for its acquisition of Brooklyn-based Lenco Diagnostics Laboratories. The company initially announced the acquisition in February.
Guardant Health said this week that it is expanding the scope of a previously announced collaboration with UK-based cancer care and research organization The Royal Marsden to provide circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing to lung cancer patients. The Marsden360 liquid biopsy service, which is part of the North Thames Genomic Medicine Service, is available for private and clinical trial patients being treated at The Royal Marsden, as well as patients with suspected late-stage lung cancer who are eligible for testing as part of the National Health Service England study in ctDNA testing in non-small cell lung cancer. Guardant said that the service has already provided testing to more than 2,000 patients and will test an additional 10,000 patients over the next year with the goal of providing more targeted treatments.
Exagen this week announced its Q4 and full-year 2023 financial results, reporting that Q4 revenues were $13.8 million, up 8 percent from $12.8 million in Q4 2022. The firm saw a net loss of $5.6 million, or $.31 per share, in Q4 2023 compared to a net loss of $14.4 million, or $.83 per share, in the prior-year quarter. Full-year 2023 revenues were $52.5 million, rising 15 percent from $45.6 million in 2022. The company saw a net loss of $23.7 million, or $1.34 per share, in 2023 compared to a net loss of $47.4 million, or $2.77 per share, in 2022. Exagen ended the year with $36.5 million in cash and cash equivalents.
Centogene said this week that it has extended its partnership with Takeda to provide genetic testing for patients around the world with lysosomal storage disorders including Fabry disease, Gaucher disease, and Hunter syndrome. The original agreement was signed in 2015 with Shire Pharmaceuticals, which was acquired by Takeda in 2019.
Enable Biosciences said this week that it has received accreditation for its clinical reference laboratory from the College of American Pathologists. The company noted that the decision followed a recent inspection of its facility in South San Francisco, California.
Whole-genome sequencing and analytics services company Genome Insight said this week that it has changed its name to Inocras. Following its rebranding, the South Korean company, which focuses on cancer and rare diseases, plans to launch two diagnostic products, CancerVision and RareVision, globally next month. These will be followed by additional new products later this year. Last November, the company announced the closing of a $23 million Series B-2 financing round.
The Indiana University Melvin and Bren Simon Comprehensive Cancer Center said this week it received a $20 million gift to establish a lung cancer research center. The gift will support ongoing work by researchers at Indiana University to improve prevention and early detection of lung cancer and to develop personalized therapies to improve the standard of care.
In Brief This Week is a selection of news items that may be of interest to our readers but had not previously appeared on 360Dx.