December 28, 2023 | PerkinElmer has acquired Covaris; Revvity has launched its EONIS Q system, which can help test for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) in newborns; Edinburgh Innovations has announced a novel 3D printed device that could replace the need for drug and chemical safety testing on animals; and more.
The Association for Molecular Pathology (AMP), published a report that explores specific considerations for a slice testing strategy for diagnostics, including gene selection, analytic performance, coverage, quality, and interpretation. The report offers expert consensus recommendations and results from an AMP-sponsored survey that compares a slice testing approach with traditional static gene panels and comprehensive exome analysis. It was released online ahead of publication in The Journal of Molecular Diagnostics. Similar to traditional disease focused panels, a slice test sequences a broad set of genes but limits the interpretation to a predetermined list of relevant genes. This approach combines the advantages of high-quality gene panels with the flexibility and broad scope of exome sequencing. The AMP Whole-Exome Sequencing Standards Working Group was established to survey current laboratory practice and develop initial best practice guidance for germline slice testing using exomes. The recommendations were informed by a directed review of existing scientific literature, observational survey data, and the professional experience of the Working Group’s subject matter experts. The report outlines the capabilities, limitations, and considerations when using slice testing for laboratories and clinical providers. These expert consensus recommendations are meant to be a reference guide and not to be interpreted as a restrictive list. Full paper.
Owkin has announced several new collaborations and partnerships. First with MSD, the trade name of Merck & Co Inc., Rahway NJ, have entered a collaboration to develop and commercialize AI-powered digital pathology diagnostics for the EU market. The collaboration seeks to develop a pre-screening procedure to improve testing rates for MSI-H in endometrial, gastric, small intestinal, and biliary cancers. In these cancer types, MSI-H prevalence is low and MSI-H screening is not routinely performed. The collaboration will initially be focused in the European Union. Owkin, which currently has the only MSI digital pathology diagnostic CE-marked in colorectal cancer, will extend the development of its MSI-H AI diagnostics into four new cancer types, leveraging multimodal patient data from multiple academic centers and hospitals. Press release. Next is a new partnership with pathology network Cerba Path to provide all of their members access to try MSIntutCRC, Owkin’s CE-marked pre-screening AI diagnostic for identifying MSI in colorectal cancer in their routine workflows, as well as to use and help to validate RlapsRisk BC, the risk assessment tool for recurrence in early breast cancer. Press release. Finally, the company announced a partnership with Bicêtre Hospital, part of the AH-HP public health system in Paris, to trial and help develop RlapsRisk BC. Press release.
XiFin, a leading provider of innovative healthcare information technologies and services that deliver artificial intelligence (AI)-enabled operational efficiency, interoperability, and simplicity, has launched the Payor Rate Transparency Monitor, the first-of-its-kind interactive visualization tool that compares contracted rates published by UnitedHealthcare, Aetna, and Cigna. The Monitor takes a further step in advancing transparency of contracted rates across health plans by drilling down into specific billing codes and modifiers that have been developed by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). These data help laboratories and diagnostic providers in defining and refining their managed care, market access, and contracting strategies, by showing the range of contracted rates for the most common services, as well as actual reimbursement rates. Providers are then able to compare this to their cost data to make informed decisions and negotiate rates with renewed confidence. Press release.
PerkinElmer has acquired Covaris, a leading developer of solutions to empower life science innovations. The merger will accelerate Covaris’ growth potential and expand PerkinElmer’s existing life sciences portfolio into the high-growth diagnostics end market. Both companies are majority owned by New Mountain Capital, and terms of the transaction were not disclosed. With PerkinElmer’s global reach, Covaris is positioned to help enable and accelerate the next generation of life sciences innovation for efficient, reproducible, and high-throughput sample preparation and data analysis. Press release.
Freenome announced the initiation of its PROACT LUNG study, intended to validate the clinical performance of the Freenome blood test for lung cancer screening. The test combines lung cancer-specific biomarkers with cancer-common markers identified on Freenome's proprietary multiomics platform. This is Freenome's second blood-based test developed on the platform. Press release.
Absci Corporation announced a collaboration with AstraZeneca to deliver an AI-designed antibody against an oncology target. This collaboration combines Absci's Integrated Drug Creation platform with AstraZeneca's expertise in oncology with the goal of accelerating the discovery of a potential new cancer treatment candidate. The platform aims to enhance the likelihood of successful development outcomes for biologic drug candidates by optimizing multiple drug attributes concurrently and expanding the universe of drug targets to include those previously deemed “undruggable” such as GPCRs and ion channels. Press release.
Revvity has launched its EONIS Q system, a CE-IVD declared platform enabling laboratories in countries that accept the CE marking to adopt molecular testing for spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) in newborns. The EONIS Q system simplifies and streamlines molecular testing for SMA and SCID with an innovative workflow. Press release.