Deals Shaping The Medical Industry, May 2014

Roche paid $275mm up front for private molecular diagnostics company IQuum Inc., which is also eligible for $175mm in earn-outs based on product milestones. IQuum will become part of Roche Diagnostics Corp.’s Roche Molecular Diagnostics. (Apr.)

IQuum, established in 1998, focuses on rapid, point-of-care cellular, protein, and nucleic acid testing of biological samples. Its diagnostics, which can be performed by non-specialized health care workers, are used in clinical labs, biodefense settings, and the industrial testing market, and results are provided onsite within 20 minutes to an hour. IQuum’s flagship laboratory-in-a-tube (Liat) platform encompasses all phases of sample processing: the raw sample (blood, plasma, or saliva) is placed into a Liat tube, which has a barcode that is scanned to identify the appropriate test and track the sample. The tube is then inserted into the Liat analyzer, which performs the required testing and reports results on a touch screen. The first approved Liat multiplexed real-time PCR assay is for influenza A and B, and IQuum is also developing Liat products for cytomegalovirus, HIV, and Dengue fever