RECENT NEWS

The first prototype that uses artificial intelligence for colorectal diagnosis has been developed by Portuguese researchers from the Institute for Systems and Computer Engineering, Technology and Science (INESC TEC), in Porto, and the IMP Diagnostics Molecular & Anatomic Pathology laboratory.

Laboratory supplier Medical Wire & Equipment (MWE) received a returned product recently – nothing unusual there you might think, except this product was almost 40 years old!

AI-powered cancer diagnostics firm Ibex Medical Analytics, and image sharing platform for pathology PathPresenter, have announced a partnership to advance the adoption of AI-powered digital pathology. The two companies will work together to support joint customers via an AI-powered digital pathology solution for laboratories, hospitals and health systems worldwide.

Beckman Coulter Life Sciences has received 510(k) clearance from the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to distribute its DxFLEX Clinical Flow Cytometer in the United States. Launched regionally in 2020, this advancement brings the popular benchtop IVD flow cytometry system to American laboratories while expanding testing capabilities.

A recent survey shows concern from US laboratories about patient access to laboratory developed tests (LDTs) if the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) goes ahead with its proposal to regulate such tests. Many have said they would have to react to new regulation by withdrawing tests from the marketplace.

John Pye Auctions, established in 1968, is the UK’s leading commercial auction house. Throughout 2024, it is hosting weekly online auction sales featuring a variety of brand-name, high-quality medical and laboratory machinery, as well as consumables. These items cover the areas of manufacturing, testing, research, packing, and storage.

The National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) has welcomed the recent publication of the Government’s Rare Disease Action Plan 2024, which highlights the work that has so far been done by the NIHR, the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) and others over the last year to better address the needs of people with rare diseases.

Neurocode USA, a specialised clinical laboratory offering testing solutions for neurological disorders, has announced the clinical launch of ALZpath Dx, an innovative and novel blood test that can be used in the screening, diagnosis and monitoring of Alzheimer's disease (AD) based on circulating level of pTau217 in the blood.

The Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) has launched the 2024 edition of its Achievement Awards, with a new category recognising sustainability added this year.

Researchers at Metabolomycs, a California-based biotechnology company, have for the first time applied targeted mass spectrometry to show that pancreatic cancer arises through changes in cellular metabolism and that these changes can be measured with a simple blood test.

Aiosyn, a medical software company specialising in AI-powered pathology solutions for cancer and kidney disease, has announced the introduction of its NephroPath platform. By partnering with Aiosyn, CROs, biopharma, and researchers can accelerate the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD) therapies using new and quantitative insights offered through Nephropath’s kidney image analysis services.

INTEGRA Biosciences has launched its new MAG and HEATMAG modules for efficient, automated magnetic bead purification. These innovative solutions allow researchers to streamline several processing steps in molecular biology and proteomics workflows for maximum throughput.

Cirdan’s Pathology Horizons event returns for 2024 with its first post-pandemic event, taking place in Bath from 18-20 April. The agenda is now available and delegate registration are open.

Bruker Corporation has announced that it has entered into a definitive share purchase agreement to acquire ELITechGroup, excluding the carved out ELITech clinical chemistry business. The deal was agreed late in 2023 and has now been approved by workers’ council consultations in France and The Netherlands.

Hamburg-based laboratory products manufacturer Starlab has launched its new Starlab Vortex Mixer, offering top performance and user friendliness.

Proscia has announced that Pramana, an AI-enabled health technology company modernising the pathology sector, is now a Proscia Ready partner. Pramana joins the partner alliance to help life sciences organisations and diagnostic laboratories increasingly leverage enriched, high-quality data, including DICOM images, in their routine research and clinical operations.

PharmaKure, which develops precision medicines for Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative diseases, has announced a new epigenetics collaboration with Sheffield Hallam University. This partnership will focus on ‘gene-based environmental biomarkers’, known as epigenetic markers, for calculating risk scores for Alzheimer’s disease.

Bio-Rad Laboratories has launched the new Vericheck ddPCR Replication Competent Lentivirus Kit and the Vericheck ddPCR Replication Competent AAV Kit.

The British Society For Microbial Technology (BSMT) has announced a change of venue for its Annual Microbiology Conference, which will now take place at UKHSA, Colindale. The date – 2 May – and programme of speakers remain unchanged.

The USA National Institutes of Health (NIH) has launched a clinical trials network to evaluate emerging technologies for cancer screening. The Cancer Screening Research Network (CSRN) will support the Biden-Harris administration’s Cancer Moonshot, and eight groups have received funding.