NEW YORK – DermTech reported this week a 7 percent year-over-year decline in its second quarter revenues, driven by lower test revenues. For the three months ending June 30, total revenues were $3.9 million, compared to $4.2 million in Q2 2022, and beating the consensus Wall Street estimate of $3.7 million. Test revenues were down 14 percent to $3.6 million from $4.1 million, while contract revenues grew to $415,000 from $86,000. During Q2, DermTech's billable sample volume shrank 5 percent year over year to about 17,450. The San Diego-based company had a Q2 net loss of $31.4 million, or $.99 per share, compared to a net loss of $29.6 million, or $.99 per share, a year ago and falling short of the consensus Wall Street estimate of a loss of $.97 per share. DermTech cut its R&D costs to $3.9 million from $6.9 million a year ago, while its SG&A expenses grew to $28.3 million from $23.9 million. DermTech ended the quarter with $42.8 million in cash and cash equivalents and $43.4 million in short-term marketable securities.
Waters this week reported second quarter revenues of $740.6 million, up 4 percent from $714.3 million in Q2 2022 and above the average Wall Street estimate of $733.2 million. Waters' Q2 net income was $150.6 million, or $2.55 per share, compared to $164.9 million, or $2.72 per share, a year ago. On a non-GAAP basis, the company reported EPS of $2.80, beating analysts' average estimate of $2.59 per share. Waters ended the quarter with $330.6 million in cash, cash equivalents, and investments. The company said it expects full-year 2023 sales growth of between 3 percent and 4 percent and full-year 2023 non-GAAP EPS in the range of $12.20 to $12.30.
OraSure Technologies reported this week that its second quarter revenues grew 6 percent year over year. For the three months ended June 30, the Bethlehem, Pennsylvania-based firm reported revenues of $85.4 million compared to $80.4 million in Q2 2022. Its core revenues rose 3 percent to $37.9 million from $36.9 million in the year-ago quarter, and its COVID-19 diagnostics revenues rose 9 percent to $47.5 million compared to $43.4 million in Q2 2022. The firm reported a net loss of $4.8 million, or $.07 per share, compared to a net loss of $18.9 million, or $.26 per share, a year ago. It posted non-GAAP EPS of $.09. OraSure ended the quarter with $185.9 million in cash and cash equivalents.
ERS Genomics said this week that it has signed a nonexclusive licensing agreement with Transomic Technologies, granting the latter access to the foundational ERS CRISPR-Cas9 patent portfolio. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Transomic, based in Huntsville, Alabama, provides gene editing and gene modulation products and services to life science researchers. ERS Genomics, located in Dublin, provides access to gene editing IP held by Nobel laureate Emmanuelle Charpentier.
Karius said this week that its Karius test, a microbial cell-free DNA assay designed to identify more than 1,000 pathogens from a single blood draw, has been incorporated into the 2023 Duke-ISCVID Criteria for Infective Endocarditis by the International Society of Cardiovascular Infectious Diseases. The Duke Criteria were introduced 30 years ago by leading medical experts to enhance and standardize the diagnosis of infective endocarditis and have been periodically updated to incorporate technological advances and research discoveries, Karius noted. The latest version for the first time includes hypothesis-free metagenomic sequencing, the technology underlying the Karius test, the company added. Specifically, it recognizes the high importance of metagenomic sequencing when blood cultures fail to identify a causative pathogen.
T2 Biosystems said this week that the Nasdaq Hearings Panel has granted the firm's request for an extension to comply with two Nasdaq listing requirements. T2 Bio will have until Nov. 20 to comply with requirements calling for a closing bid price of $1 per share for 10 consecutive business days and a market value of listed securities of at least $35 million for 10 consecutive business days. If the firm does so by the November deadline and it satisfies all other listing criteria, the matter will be closed, T2 Bio said.
Epigenomics said this week that it plans to reduce its share capital at a ratio of 5:1, or by 80 percent, in order to cover losses and to enable the firm to raise new funds quickly if required. The share capital reduction, which will be proposed at the firm's upcoming extraordinary shareholder meeting on Sept. 11, is anticipated to take effect in early October. Epigenomics, based in Berlin, said last month that it plans to sell almost all its assets to New Day Diagnostics.
Ginkgo Bioworks said this week that it has signed a memorandum of understanding with Panama to develop and implement biosecurity capabilities. Ginkgo's Concentric biosecurity subsidiary will support Panama's Gorgas Memorial Institute for Health Studies to strengthen COVID-19 surveillance infrastructure, including monitoring of airports and wastewater. Financial details were not disclosed.
STRmix said this week that NicheVision Forensics will remain its exclusive distributor for its STRmix forensics software in North, South, and Central America. NicheVision, based in Ohio, will also continue to distribute two related software applications, called DBLR and FaSTR, in those territories. According to NicheVision, 80 federal, state, and local agencies are using STRmix, as well as many agencies and universities in Canada. The two companies originally struck their exclusive distribution agreement for the Americas in 2014.
Mainz Biomed said this week that it has partnered with Marylebone Laboratory, based in London. Under the agreement, Marylebone is offering Mainz's ColoAlert at-home colorectal cancer screening test to its customers in the UK and internationally.
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.