RECENT NEWS

The August issue of PIP has now been published and is available to read online.

People at highest risk of infection with gonorrhoea will now be better protected from the disease, as the NHS and local authorities begin the roll-out of a world-first vaccination programme in England.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has released a new target product profile to guide the development of in vitro diagnostic tests for serious bacterial infections in newborns and young infants, including neonatal sepsis – a leading cause of infant deaths globally.

Precision health firm Helix has announced a partnership with cancer diagnostics company Veracyte that will make it easier for urologists to add comprehensive germline testing for patients with high-risk localised and metastatic prostate cancer.

Professor Susan Hopkins is appointed as the new Chief Executive Officer of the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).

In response to recent outbreaks of Chikungunya fever, Anbio Biotechnology has announced the launch of its Chikungunya IgM/IgG Rapid Test, offering clinicians and public health authorities a fast, accessible diagnostic tool at the point of care. The company also has a new PCR system, for quicker POC results.

Patients with advanced head and neck cancers in England will be fast-tracked into a trial of a new cancer vaccine, as the NHS expands its world-leading trial ‘match-making’ service.

Cherwell (an AnalytiChem company), a microbiology cleanroom solutions expert, is to be renamed AnalytiChem UK from the 1 September 2025. This represents the next step in Cherwell’s integration with the AnalytiChem Group, which it joined in January 2024.

Agilent Technologies has announced the introduction of its Dako Omnis family of automated immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridisation instruments with three new models - Agilent Dako Omnis 110, 165, and 165 Duo - designed to meet the evolving needs of pathology laboratories of all sizes.

Following the successful start of production in Germany in January, Starlab is now commencing sale of the first TipOne racks with TipOne recyclate. This marks the next milestone for the company after years of development and the systematic establishment of a European recycling infrastructure: turning plastic laboratory waste back into high-quality laboratory products.

Clinisys has announced the acquisition of Orchard Software from Francisco Partners, a leading global investment firm that specialises in partnering with technology businesses.

Flow cytometry is a mainstay of analytical methods to study cells, but growth is now accelerating as new immuno-oncology and liquid biopsy markets create unprecedented investment in the race to cure cancer.

Porosome Therapeutics has announced key advancements in its first-in-class, disease-modifying neurological platform, which will transform Alzheimer’s Disease (AD) research and treatment by offering a new approach that goes beyond symptom management.

Inuvi, a leading UK provider of mobile phlebotomy, health assessments, blood testing, and community diagnostic services, has announced the opening of its new Diagnostic Centre. The facility opened in July on Wimpole Street, located within the Harley Street Health District. Purpose-built to meet the growing demand for fast and reliable blood testing, the clinic offers a convenient high-quality service for Inuvi’s customers.

There is an urgent need for a change in the law, backed up with Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) regulation, for many DIY diagnostic tests, says Dr Martin Myers, Consultant Clinical Biochemist, Joint Clinical Lead at NHSE Getting it Right First Time (GIRFT), Pathology. Laboratory Director Clinical Biochemistry & Clinical Lead for POCT at Lancashire Teaching Hospital.

Paige, a leader in next-generation AI technology, has announced the release of PRISM2, its most advanced slide-level foundation model to date. PRISM2 is designed to advance large language models (LLM) by enabling them to understand pathology images, connecting visual patterns with the clinical language used by clinicians to unlock novel capabilities.

Molecular diagnostics firm Seegene is to unveil its fully automated PCR testing system, CURECA, and data analytics platform, STAgora, at ADLM 2025.

Roche has received the CE Mark for its Elecsys pTau181 test to measure phosphorylated Tau (pTau) 181 protein, which is an indicator of amyloid pathology, a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease.

US biotechnology firm Spear Bio has announced the commercial launch of its SPEAR UltraDetect immunoassay solution, delivering unparalleled sensitivity, specificity, precision, and scalability for robust biomarker measurement.

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has appointed Professor Robin May as Interim Chief Scientific Officer on a one-year appointment.