BGI said this week that it has joined Shenzhen Third People's Hospital, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Zteict Technology to ink a memorandum of understanding with Oswaldo Cruz Foundation in Brazil for research into preventing and controlling infectious diseases in China and Brazil. The parties will build a platform for research and prevention of infectious diseases in Shenzhen and Rio de Janeiro. The medical institutions of both countries will set up an interactive network for pathogen data exchange that employs high-throughput pathogen-testing equipment, and they will focus on research, detection, and vaccine development for infectious diseases that include Zika, yellow fever, and avian influenza, BGI said.
BioAffinity Technologies said this week it has been approved for membership in the Early Detection Research Network (EDRN), an initiative of the National Cancer Institute. The EDRN brings government, academic, and industry leaders together to accelerate the discovery, development, and validation of biomarkers for cancer risk and early detection.
Fluidigm said this week that it has entered into separate privately negotiated transactions to exchange approximately $125 million in aggregate principal amount of its 2.75 percent Convertible Senior Notes due 2034 for approximately $125 million in aggregate principal amount of new 2.75 percent Exchange Convertible Senior Notes due 2034. Each $1,000 principal amount of existing notes will be exchanged for $1,000 principal amount of exchange notes.
BioMérieux this week released consolidated financial statements for the year ended Dec. 31, 2017, confirming the earnings release its reported in January. For the full-year 2017, the firm reported that total revenues rose to €2.29 billion from €2.10 billion in 2016. The company also reported that the net income of its consolidated companies rose to €238 million, or €2.02 per share, in 2017, from €179 million, or €1.52 per share, in 2016.
Clinical genomics interpretation software provider Congenica announced this week that it has received certification in ISO 13485:2016, a quality management system for medical devices that supports comprehensive policies and processes across the entire business. ISO 13485 is a global standard for medical devices and IVD production.
Integrated Diagnostics Holdings lab in Cairo this week received CAP accreditation under the college's Laboratory Accreditation Program. IDH was created in 2012 following the merger of Al Mokhtabar and Al Borg Laboratories and provides more than 1,000 diagnostic services, including pathology and molecular diagnostics, genetics testing, and basic radiology across four central labs in the Middle East. The lab was built in 2015.
In Brief This Week is a selection of news items that may be of interest to our readers but had not previously appeared on the GenomeWeb site.