NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Agilent Technologies said this week it is collaborating with the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology to advance development of inorganic analytical technology. The South Korean institute recently created the Inorganic Analysis Technology Cooperation Center, which is equipped with Agilent's mass spectrometry instruments and is focused on applications in energy, semiconductors, advanced materials, and nanotechnology. The center will be equipped with Agilent's ICP-MS and ICP-OES platforms.
PerkinElmer's board of directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of $.07 per share, payable on Feb. 7, 2014 to shareholders of record on Jan. 17, 2014.
The company also said that it opened a new Center for Innovation in Hopkinton, Mass., featuring a state-of-the-art laboratory. R&D teams working in the facility will develop products and applications in areas such as genomic analysis, biomarker research, biotherapeutics, and imaging and pathology.
Evotec and AstraZeneca has reached a deal to investigate compounds and targets with new mechanisms "that have disease-modifying potential" for treating kidney disease. AstraZeneca will have access to select molecules from Evotec. In return, Evotec is receiving an upfront payment. The deal also "triggers" preclinical, clinical, and regulatory milestones, and Evotec is eligible for additional milestone and royalty payments based on the commercialization of products resulting from the alliance. AstraZeneca is providing Evotec with funding for research conducted as part of the collaboration.
Cancer Genetics said that the underwriters on the recent public offering of the company's shares have exercised their overallotment option to purchase an additional 428,700 shares at $14 per share. The total gross proceeds from the offering increased, as a result, to $46 million. Aegis Capital was sole book-running manager on the offering. Feltl and Company, Cantor Fitzgerald, and Dougherty & Dougherty were co-managers.
GeneWiz has formed GeneWiz Germany, expanding its European footprint. Biserka Bacic-Toplek was appointed sales executive to direct the German operations. GeneWiz provides genomics services, and its product and service portfolio includes gene synthesis; next-generation and Sanger sequencing; molecular biology; bioinformatics; and GxP/CLIA regulatory compliant services.
NeoGenomics said that revenues for its third quarter ended Sept. 30 increased 19 percent year over year to $16.9 million from $14.2 million. The Ft. Myers, Fla.-based cancer genetics testing company turned a loss of $975,000, or $.02 per share, a year ago into a profit of $900,000, or $.02 per share, in the recently completed quarter. The firm's R&D spending decreased 58 percent to $340,000 from $808,000 a year ago, while SG&A costs rose 16 percent to $6.7 million from $5.8 million. NeoGenomics said it had $4.9 million in cash and cash equivalents as of Sept. 30.
Janssen Pharmaceuticals has joined the Structural Genomics Consortium to partner in the investigation of epigenetics-based drug research, SGC said.
TriLink BioTechnologies inked a deal with American Cleanroom Systems and Kelchlin Construction to build a 2,000-square-foot pharmaceutical cGMP production suite within TriLink's facility in San Diego. The new facility will have nine labs and be equipped to manufacture and process messenger RNA, long RNA, aptamers, oligonucleotides, small molecules, and nucleoside triphosphates.
In Brief This Week is a Friday column containing news items that our readers may have missed during the week.