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In Brief This Week: 23andMe, Oncocyte, MDxHealth, Ginkgo Bioworks, GC Genome, More

NEW YORK – 23andMe this week reported its financial results for the second quarter of its fiscal year 2024, which ended Sept. 30. Revenues for the quarter totaled $50.0 million, down 34 percent from $75.7 million in the same period last year. The company attributed this shortfall primarily to lower research services revenue from a GSK collaboration that ended in July 2023. In addition, the firm had non-recurring payments from partners in the year-ago quarter, and consumer services revenues were lower in Q2 of FY2024. Net loss for the quarter was $75.3 million, or $.16 per share, compared to a net loss of $66.1 million, or $.15 per share, a year ago. 23andMe ended the quarter with $256.4 million in cash and cash equivalents and $1.4 million in restricted cash. The company lowered its revenue guidance for FY2024 to a range of $240 million to $250 million from a prior range of $255 million to $275 million.


Oncocyte this week said its third quarter revenues grew to $429,000 from $67,000 a year ago, driven mainly by an increase in its pharma services revenues. It beat the consensus Wall Street estimate of $330,000. The Irvine, California-based cancer diagnostics firm had a net loss of $6.5 million, or $.81 per share, for the three months ended Sept. 30 compared to a net loss of $9.3 million, or $1.62 per share, a year ago and beat analysts’ average estimate of a loss of $1.01 per share. It used roughly 8.3 million shares to calculate its loss per share figure in the recently completed quarter compared to 5.9 million shares a year ago. Oncocyte's R&D spending rose 47 percent to $2.2 million from $1.5 million a year ago, while its SG&A costs were almost halved to $3.2 million from $6.1 million. It finished Q3 2023 with $13.8 million in cash and cash equivalents and $441,000 in marketable equity securities.


MDxHealth this week reported its third quarter revenues rose 73 percent year over year, to $19.3 million from $11.2 million one year earlier, which includes $8.1 million from its Genomic Prostate Score test, $6.6 million from its post-biopsy Confirm MDx test, $2.7 million from its Resolve MDx urinary tract infection test, and $1.9 million from its Select MDx urine-based liquid biopsy. The Irvine, California-based firm said it had a net loss of $10.0 million for Q3, or $.04 per share, compared to a loss of $13.5 million, or $.08 per share, in the prior-year quarter. The company expects full-year revenues at the high end of its guidance of $65 million to $70 million, and it expects to become profitable on an adjusted basis in the first half of 2025. MDxHealth ended the quarter with $32.7 million in cash and cash equivalents.


Ginkgo Bioworks said this week that it and XWell are expanding their previously announced work with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's traveler-based genomic surveillance program to test for 30 additional pathogens and targets, in addition to SARS-CoV-2.

The program will now also test for influenza A and B, respiratory syncytial virus, and antimicrobial resistance markers, among other targets. The expanded program will initially launch at four international airports: New York JFK, San Francisco, Boston Logan, and Washington Dulles. Financial and other details of the deal were not disclosed.


GC Genome said this week that it has entered into a collaboration and exclusive license agreement with Thailand's MP Group to commercialize the Genome Health SNP genotyping service for genetic health checkups. Genome Health uses next-generation sequencing to identify risk alleles associated with major cancer types and general diseases, and can analyze 45 diseases in a single test, GC Genome said. Under the agreement, Bangkok-based MP Group has an exclusive license to commercialize the service in Thailand, including the transfer of essential wet lab technology and know-how required to operate a genetic laboratory. MP Group plans to launch the product under the name Genechecks and will market the service in Thailand. The companies have also inked a memorandum of understanding to further develop products and engage in technology transfer in Thailand in areas such as health checkups, pre- and neonatal health, precision oncology, and rare diseases.


Devyser this week reported its third quarter revenues rose 50 percent to SEK 46.7 million ($4.3 million) from SEK 31.2 million a year ago. During the quarter, the firm received IVDR certification for its test for detecting donor-derived cell-free DNA in blood samples from kidney transplant patients, as well as for its product for the follow-up care of stem cell patients. Also, the company and Thermo Fisher Scientific agreed to expand their collaboration, which previously covered North America and Europe, to include Brazil in a deal to distribute Devyser's transplant products. Additionally, the two firms agreed to market Devyser's technologies to CLIA-certified labs. The company had a post-tax loss of SEK 6.0 million, or SEK .37 per share, compared to a post-tax loss of SEK 8.8 million, or SEK .55 per share, a year ago.


Co-Diagnostics this week reported its third quarter revenues dropped 51 percent to $2.5 million from $5.1 million a year ago. For the three months ended Sept. 30, product revenues declined to $136,533 from $5.1 million in Q3 2022 as demand for COVID-19 tests plummeted. Grant revenues, meanwhile, rose to $2.3 million from none a year ago. The firm's net loss rose to $6.0 million, or $.20 per share, from $1.4 million, or $.04 per share, a year ago. Its R&D costs grew to $5.8 million from $5.0 a year ago, while its SG&A costs declined to $5.1 million from $5.5 million. Co-Diagnostics finished Q3 2023 with $10.2 million in cash and cash equivalents and $53.2 million in marketable investment securities.


Thermo Fisher Scientific's board of directors this week authorized a quarterly cash dividend of $.35 per share, payable on Jan. 16, 2024, to shareholders of record on Dec. 15.


In Brief This Week is a selection of news items that may be of interest to our readers but had not previously appeared on GenomeWeb.