RECENT NEWS

Glox Therapeutics has secured £1 million in grant funding from PACE (Pathways to Antimicrobial Clinical Efficacy), one of the UK’s largest public-private initiatives targeting early-stage antimicrobial medicines and diagnostic discovery.

Biotech firm Owkin and AI-enabled pathology solutions company Proscia have announced a strategic partnership to streamline MSI testing for patients with colorectal cancer (CRC), the second most deadly cancer worldwide.

With whooping cough cases on the rise in many areas around the world, a new nasal vaccine developed by Tulane University may hold the key to reducing the spread of the highly contagious respiratory disease.

Genomics company Biofidelity has announced the launch of Aspyre Lung reagents for liquid biopsy samples. Aspyre Lung identifies established non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) biomarkers in both DNA and RNA from tissue and blood in a single straightforward, four-step workflow and runs on existing qPCR platforms, enabling simple integration into laboratories globally.

Linkam Scientific Instruments has announced new updates to its specialist CMS196 cryo-stage. The CMS196V4 supports cryo-correlative light and electron microscopy (cryo-CLEM) and allows researchers to investigate samples at cryogenic temperatures down to < -195 °C.

Abbott has marked the official opening of its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Kilkenny, Ireland with a ceremony attended by Taoiseach Simon Harris and Abbott Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Robert Ford. The site is a global manufacturing centre of excellence for Abbott's diabetes care business and will employ more than 800 people.

Lunit, a provider of AI-powered solutions for cancer diagnostics and therapeutics, has announced a strategic collaboration with AstraZeneca, a leading pharmaceutical company, to develop AI-powered digital pathology solutions for rapid and convenient prediction of non-small cell lung cancer driver mutations (NSCLC).

Mast Group has been selected for the Innovate UK Global Business Innovation Programme (GBIP) focused on Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR) in Sweden. The programme is designed to help UK businesses to grow and scale on a global stage through building R&D and innovation collaborations and partnerships.

bioMérieux, a world leader in the field of in vitro diagnostics, has announced its first Data & IT Centre of Reference partnership with St James's Hospital, Ireland. This landmark collaboration was celebrated with a hybrid event held at the Davis Coakley Lecture Theatre, St James's Hospital, Dublin on 14 November, marking a historic milestone for bioMérieux.

National surveillance data published by the UK Health Security Agency show that antibiotic-resistant infections in 2023 surpassed pre-pandemic levels. There were an estimated 66,730 serious antibiotic-resistant infections in 2023, compared to 62,314 in 2019.

​The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) has launcjed a consultation on proposed changes to the regulatory requirements a medical device (including IVDs) must meet before it is placed on the market in Great Britain. The consultation will close on 5 January 2025.

Bio-Rad Laboratories has announced updates on its oncology assay portfolio and regulatory milestones, ahead of its presence at the AMP 2024 meeting.

Clinisys WinPath go-lives at Northern Health and Social Care Trust and the cervical cytology screening service complete phase three of the CoreLIMS programme to transform pathology services across the country.

A medical drone delivery service for Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, in partnership with Apian and Wing, is now up and running in London following its first successful flights. The six-month trial could become the blueprint for drone delivery of other medical items across the wider NHS.

The October issue of PiP has been published and is available to read online.

In a recent study, researchers at the University of California, San Diego, have provided new insights into the central role of goblet cells - specialised cells that line the gut - in maintaining a healthy and balanced immune environment within the gastrointestinal (GI) tract. The findings open promising avenues for therapies that target goblet cell functions and could help develop treatments for GI diseases affecting millions globally.

The government and NHS England are set to reveal plans to reduce the NHS’s reliance on agency staff, as the cost to the health service of hiring temporary workers sits at £3 billion a year.

Bio-Techne has recently achieved In Vitro Diagnostic Regulation (IVDR) certification for its R&D Systems haematology controls and calibrators.

A revolutionary breast cancer diagnostic technology has been adopted by international healthcare giant Bupa as part of a huge global expansion.

US diagnostic firm Veravas has announced a collaboration with Phanes Biotech to co-develop a blood-based Alzheimer’s disease (AD) tau pathology test. Phanes Biotech is an early-stage biotech company focused on treatments for neurodegenerative diseases.