NEW YORK – Bruker said this week that it has acquired Zontal, a Plantation, Florida-based maker of analytics software for biopharmaceutical laboratory environments. Sales terms were not disclosed, though Bruker said that Zontal expects to post more than $5 million in revenues this year. Zontal's software will become part of Bruker's BioSpin Integrated Data Solutions division, joining products including Mestrelab Research, Arxspan, and Optimal.
Singlera Genomics said this week that it has received breakthrough device designation from the US Food and Drug Administration for its PDACatch assay, a DNA methylation-based liquid biopsy test for the detection of pancreatic adenocarcinoma in individuals at high risk for the disease. Singlera's technology has previously been demonstrated to detect five types of cancer in the blood. Breakthrough designation from the FDA offers accelerated assessment and review pathways, and the company said it is in the process of launching a prospective study and clinical trial aimed at supporting a bid for premarket approval.
Agilent Technologies said last month that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with South Korean genomic services and biopharma company Theragen Bio to improve precision oncology through bioinformatics. As part of the agreement, the firms plan to combine their strengths in cancer genomic profiling design, engineering knowledge, and software to increase localized analysis capabilities and accelerate treatment decisions.
Ginkgo Bioworks this week announced a partnership with Denmark's Octarine Bio to engineer bio-based pigments for textile dyeing with antimicrobial, antioxidant, and UV protective properties. Financial and other terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Danaher said this week that its board of directors has approved a regular quarterly cash dividend of $.27 per share of its common stock, payable on July 28 to holders of record on June 30.
DiaCarta this week said that it has received accreditation from the College of American Pathologists for its CLIA-certified laboratory. During the accreditation process, CAP inspectors examined the lab’s quality system and records, as well as the laboratory staff's qualifications, laboratory equipment, safety programs, and overall management practices. The accreditation "builds on the success of our recently won New York State CLIA license," VP of Medical Clinical Affairs Zheng Li said in a statement.
DermTech this week said it has signed new agreements with a Blues plan in South Carolina and the United Mine Workers of America Health and Retirement Funds. As a result, about 1.7 million members of the Blues plan of South Carolina and 90,000 beneficiaries of UMWA Funds will have access to the company's DermTech Melanoma Test. The deal took effect April 1. The RT-PCR-based test is for assessing skin lesions, moles, or dark skin spots for melanoma.
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.