Skip to main content
Premium Trial:

Request an Annual Quote

Standard BioTools Partner Ascendas Genomics Gets Chinese Approval for MDx Systems

NEW YORK — Standard BioTools — formerly Fluidigm — said on Thursday that its Biomark and Juno molecular diagnostic systems have received approval from China's National Medical Products Administration.

The approvals, Standard BioTools said, were obtained by partner Ascendas Genomics. The companies partnered in 2017, striking a deal under which Guangdong-based Ascendas would develop and commercialize the systems, which are based on Standard BioTools' microfluidic technologies.

"Microfluidics technology plays a significant role in accelerating genomics analysis," Standard BioTools President and CEO Michael Egholm said in a statement. "We are very pleased to continue our partnership with Ascendas Genomics to further expand our market position in China and better support testing and disease risk screening."

Earlier this year, South San Francisco, California-based Standard BioTools undertook a corporate restructuring that includes the discontinuation of certain products and layoffs, amid growing losses and shrinking revenues.

The Scan

Positive Framing of Genetic Studies Can Spark Mistrust Among Underrepresented Groups

Researchers in Human Genetics and Genomics Advances report that how researchers describe genomic studies may alienate potential participants.

Small Study of Gene Editing to Treat Sickle Cell Disease

In a Novartis-sponsored study in the New England Journal of Medicine, researchers found that a CRISPR-Cas9-based treatment targeting promoters of genes encoding fetal hemoglobin could reduce disease symptoms.

Gut Microbiome Changes Appear in Infants Before They Develop Eczema, Study Finds

Researchers report in mSystems that infants experienced an enrichment in Clostridium sensu stricto 1 and Finegoldia and a depletion of Bacteroides before developing eczema.

Acute Myeloid Leukemia Treatment Specificity Enhanced With Stem Cell Editing

A study in Nature suggests epitope editing in donor stem cells prior to bone marrow transplants can stave off toxicity when targeting acute myeloid leukemia with immunotherapy.