Johnson & Johnson isn't the ground shaker in molecular testing that Roche Diagnostics is—so it is forging a different path to becoming a leader in emerging high-potential sectors of the in vitro diagnostics (IVD) industry. The company, which is one of the top suppliers of high-volume laboratory systems, started to build a business dedicated to cancer diagnostics five years ago. In June, it announced the formation of a subsidiary, Veridex LLC devoted to that field. Now, that subsidiary is stepping up the pace of its activities, launching its first product and striking a series of deals that demonstrate not only its commitment to the field but the strategy it is taking.
That strategy revolves around developing high-value, innovative tests that affect clinical decision-making in the major cancers, based on a portfolio...