Trends In Diagnostics – 2012

As it did in 2011, the applications of sequencing to clinical diagnostics dominated the news in 2012. (See Also see "Trends In Diagnostics 2011" - In Vivo, 24 January, 2012..) But unlike a year ago, there’s now more tangible evidence of adoption, in the area of tumor profiling and notably, prenatal genetic testing. The abundance of genomics platforms and the continued refinements and reduction in costs are attracting more and more users as well as developers of high-value molecular test content. The leading technology providers are themselves moving downstream into clinical applications as the way to grow their businesses, and investors are veering from pure technology plays centered on the means of data acquisition and towards downstream services and enhancing workflow. Also, many companies that made large initial investments in molecular diagnostics a year or two ago are still integrating them into their businesses.

In many ways, 2012 was characterized by the solidification of trends and opportunities identified in previous years. Yet the same cannot be said of the regulatory and reimbursement environment, which...