RECENT NEWS

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has published its investigation findings on the recent case of influenza A(H1N2)v – a type of swine influenza – confirming that no further cases have been detected.

Vertex Pharmaceuticals and CRISPR Therapeutics have announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved CASGEVY (exagamglogene autotemcel [exa-cel]), a CRISPR/Cas9 genome-edited cell therapy, for the treatment of sickle cell disease (SCD) in patients 12 years and older with recurrent vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs).

Innovate UK and the Office for Life Sciences (OLS) have announced new support for innovation in chronic conditions and cancer. Seventeen projects will receive £10 million in new funding as part of the advancing precision medicines competition. The OLS funding is part of the life sciences vision cancer mission.

US digital health platform company imaware has acquired binx health’s at-home consumer testing business. The acquisition will expand imaware’s position in the growing US market for home-health testing and expand the company’s number of enterprise clients.

The Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) has published a position statement on antimicrobial resistance (AMR), focusing on the support and investment needed by medical microbiology and virology members to tackle this threat to global health.

BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) has announced it has received 510(k) clearances from the U.S. Federal Drug Administration (FDA) for a novel blood collection device that obtains blood samples from a fingerstick that produce laboratory-quality results for some of the most commonly ordered blood tests.

US digital pathology firm Corista has announced a strategic partnership with AGFA HealthCare, a renowned name in diagnostic imaging and healthcare IT solutions. This alliance represents an important advancement in healthcare technology, integrating Corista's DP3 technology with AGFA HealthCare’s Enterprise Imaging for Pathology platform.

CellNetix Pathology & Laboratories, one of the largest independent pathology service providers in the United States, is innovating its practice with digital pathology to advance its mission of excellence via a new partnership with digital and computational pathology solutions provider Proscia.

Omini, a medtech company developing the first multiplexed blood testing platform for personalised medicine and chronic disease management, has received approval from European authorities of a patent for its multi-gate Organic Electro-Chemical Transistor (OECT)-based detection device comprising depolarisation electrode.

The latest in the series of ‘POCT Innovators: The power to disrupt’ events, taking place in Leeds on 20 March 2024, is now open for booking.

PerkinElmer has acquired life science firm Covaris, with the merger accelerating Covaris’ growth potential and expanding 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.

Private healthcare group Spire Healthcare has taken a major step to enhance its pathology services by partnering with healthcare solutions provider Tribun Health. As a result of this collaboration, Spire is set to launch its new digital infrastructure and services this month, an important step towards the company’s aim to deliver high-quality care and innovation in the medical field.

Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust has now connected to the National Pathology Imaging Co-operative (NPIC) digital pathology picture archiving and communication system (PACS). This high-capacity pathology image repository and exchange system revolutionises how pathologists provide patient services and expert opinions, which will facilitate digital transformation across pathology for the Trust.

Life science research firm Biotium has launched its new range of Choice primary antibody conjugates. With careful curation, and extensive in-house validation, Biotium Choice monoclonal primary antibodies are designed to deliver exceptional performance for flow cytometry.

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences has received 510(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to distribute its popular AQUIOS STEM System in the United States. This innovation provides laboratories with an evolution of the gold standard for haematopoietic stem cell enumeration.

A new, world-class genomics laboratory is set to further the UK’s global genomics leadership and accelerate the discovery of new medicines and diagnostics. The functional genomics laboratory has been established through a partnership between the Medical Research Council (MRC), AstraZeneca and Milner Therapeutics Institute (MTI) - University of Cambridge.

In a momentous landmark for medical research, UK Biobank has unveiled incredible new data from whole genome sequencing of its half a million participants, work supported by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI). The data are set to play a key role in the discovery of new diagnostics, treatments, and cures. Uniquely, it is also available to approved researchers worldwide, via a protected database containing anonymised data.

European anatomic pathology information systems provider Dedalus Group and AI-powered cancer diagnostics firm Ibex Medical Analytics have announced the launch of a fully integrated end-to-end AI-powered digital pathology solution for cancer diagnosis.

Cancer Research UK has set out how the next UK Government could dramatically improve cancer outcomes and prevent 20,000 cancer deaths a year by 2040. The charity has published ‘Longer better lives: A manifesto for cancer research and care’ an ambitious cancer plan developed with the insights of cancer patients and experts from across health, life sciences, government and academic sectors.

The annual English Surveillance Programme for Antimicrobial Utilisation and Resistance (ESPAUR) report, published by the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) recently, shows a substantial increases in rates of priority pathogens and antibiotic use during 2022 with the lifting of pandemic mitigations and the return to pre-pandemic levels of health activity.