NEW YORK (GenomeWeb News) – Danaher said this week that it anticipates its second-quarter diluted net earnings per share to be "slightly above" the high end of its previously announced guidance of between $.80 and $.85. Core revenue growth, it added is expected to also be "slightly above" the previous guidance of between 1 percent and 2 percent. At its Analyst Day meeting, CFO Dan Comas added that the firm's Life Science & Diagnostics business, especially the Beckman Coulter diagnostic business, "had a very solid quarter organically." Danaher is scheduled to release its Q2 earnings results on July 18.
DNA sequencing and molecular biology service provider ACGT has been accredited by the College of American Pathologists. The accreditation, it said, ties in with the company's launch of ACGT Molecular Diagnostics featuring clinical next-generation sequencing and companion diagnostics services.
Thermo Fisher Scientific's board has declared a quarterly cash dividend of $.15 per share payable on Oct. 15 to shareholders of record as of Sept. 16.
Quest Diagnostics and the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are collaborating to increase awareness of hepatitis C screening, diagnosis, and treatment. Quest and CDC's Division of Viral Hepatitis will share hepatitis C test results that have been de-identified. The data will include results from screening and confirmatory diagnostic tests, genotyping, and viral load tests used by clinicians to manage treatment of the disease. The data will be analyzed to identify and track epidemiological trends in hepatitis C virus infection, testing, and treatment. Differences in trends based on gender, geography, and clinical management will be analyzed as well. The partners may also jointly publish results of their research, Quest said.
The US Prevent Services Task Force in June recommended one-time hepatitis C screening for Baby Boomers — those born between 1945 and 1965 — who are five times more likely than other adults to be infected with the virus.
Cleveland Clinic Laboratories announced it will be the main provider of specialized testing and diagnostic services for hospital system laboratory ACL Laboratories. Cleveland Clinic Labs will provide its expertise in esoteric testing as part of the arrangement. ACL Labs and its two pathology groups will also be able to confer with Cleveland Clinic Lab pathologists for second opinions and subspecialty consulting.
Genomics data firm NextBio said that Boehringer Ingelheim has renewed a multiyear agreement covering the NextBio Research Platform. The new agreement also expands the user base for NextBio across Boehringer Ingelheim's global research organization, Santa Clara, Calif.-based NextBio added. Financial and other terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
NextBio Research provides tools and contents to pharmaceutical and biotechnology firms for exploratory, preclinical, and early translational research. Its Big Data technology allows researchers to apply genomic data from disparate sources into their work, the company said.
French molecular diagnostic testing firm IntegraGen said it posted €2.7 million ($3.5 million) in revenues for the six months ended June 30. The company said the 18 percent growth year over year reflects a demand for sequencing services.
Results include $30,000 in revenues related to its Arisk genetic test launched in 2012, which identifies the risk for autism. The test is initially for siblings of affected children. IntegraGen is developing a newer version targeting children who are suspected of having autism, but do not have a family history of the disorder. The firm said the test is anticipated to launch before the end of the year.
It also is developing a diagnostic test for metastatic colorectal cancer with a planned launch in 2014. Full first-half 2013 financial results will be released in October, IntegraGen said.
SDIX said that more than 65 percent of shares with the rights to vote have approved the company's sale of its Life Sciences and Advanced Technologies businesses to a wholly owned subsidiary of OriGene. The $16 million transaction, which was announced in April, is anticipated to close on July 12.
In Brief This Week is a Friday column containing news items that our readers may have missed during the week.