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Big Money Spent On Liquid Biopsy Technology In 2021

 
• By Lucie Ellis-Taitt

Deal-making and financing activities are on the rise for liquid biopsy diagnostic products in 2021 despite questions remaining around whether the technology can unseat standard-of-care biomarker and imaging tests.

liquid biopsy
• Source: Alamy

In May, there were two prominent acquisitions that centered on liquid biopsy technology. Labcorp agreed to pay $150m in cash for Myriad Genetics, Inc.’s autoimmune business; while NeoGenomics, Inc. acquired liquid biopsy company Inivata Ltd. for $390m to expand its growing cancer testing capabilities.

Labcorp has expanded its rheumatoid arthritis diagnostics line-up by acquiring the Vectra rheumatoid arthritis assay from Myriad Genetics

Vectra is among the “select operating assets and intellectual property” from Myriad’s autoimmune business unit that Labcorp has agreed to buy for $150m in cash, the companies announced on 3 May. It measures 12 different protein biomarkers in a blood sample to create a single score that quantifies the severity of a patient's rheumatoid arthritis

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The Value Of Consumer Wearables Within The Clinic Is Currently Unknown, Says Cardiologist

 
• By Natasha Barrow

“It’s quite likely [consumer wearable manufacturers] are changing the sensitivity and specificity based on consumer feedback, but not for medical reasons,” said Dipak Kotecha, a University of Birmingham professor of cardiology. Often, self-reported performance evidence from manufacturers is “low quality and biased.”

GE HealthCare Warns Of $500M Tariff Hit In 2025, Eyes Recovery in 2026

 
• By Shubham Singh

GE HealthCare anticipates most of the $0.85 EPS tariff impact will play out in the second half of 2025. Jay Saccaro, vice president and CFO, said the tariff-related burden is minimal in Q1 at about $10 million, rising to nearly $100 million in Q2 and then spiking to around $200 million each in Q3 and Q4.

Peerbridge Bets On At-Home Heart Monitoring With Rechargeable, Longer-Lasting ECG Patch

 
• By Marion Webb

Peerbridge Health is preparing to submit its next-generation ECG patch, CorMDx, for US FDA clearance this quarter, with plans to launch in the second half of 2025. The rechargeable device is designed for continuous, real-time heart monitoring from the hospital to home, aiming to detect early signs of heart failure and reduce emergency room visits.

Consumer Healthtech Investment Totaled $4.5BN In 2024, But Bar Is High Amid Economic Uncertainty

 
• By Marion Webb

Global investment in consumer healthtech increased by 9% year-over-year in 2024, totaling $4.5bn, with significant interest in mental health solutions, according to Galen Growth. While the first quarter of 2025 saw raised confidence and investments, the Trump administration’s new tariffs and sweeping changes to healthcare have introduced new uncertainties.

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Beyond The Bladder: Incontinence Impacts Mental Health

 
• By Brian Bossetta

In recognition of Mental Health Awareness month, Sarah Jenkins, executive director at the National Association for Continence, discussed the mental health issues that often come with incontinence.

AI Rollout Aims To Accelerate FDA’s Product Review Process

 
• By Elizabeth Orr

The FDA plans to implement artificial intelligence in its scientific review process by 30 June, following a successful pilot. The agency hopes the tool will reduce nonproductive tasks for reviewers amid recent staff cuts. A Chief AI Officer will oversee the rollout and integration.

Access To Library Tools Being Restored At US FDA

 
• By Sue Sutter and Derrick Gingery

Agency staff once again have access to the Lexis-Nexis legal and news database, but are still waiting for access to journals and laid off librarians have not been reinstated.