Siemens Healthineers has reportedly held preliminary talks with major private equity firms, including Blackstone, CVC Capital Partners and KKR, about the potential sale of its diagnostics segment, sources say. Montagu has also shown interest in the past.

Thermo Fisher Scientific has introduced a multiplex immunoassay panel to profile proteins linked to neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer disease and Parkinson's disease. The panel quantifies 41 proteins using 1 microliter of plasma or cerebrospinal fluid, with the aim of supporting biomarker development.

The Mayo Clinic has reduced unnecessary thyroid function tests by 15% and concurrent orders by 19% after implementing a guideline-based cascade approach, starting with thyroid-stimulating hormone tests. Since researchers added a cascade algorithm and prompts to the EHR system, the clinic has saved nearly $50,000 a year, researchers reported at a meeting of the College of American Pathologists.

Precision Biologic is updating its Cryocheck Chromogenic Factor VIII assay to ensure accuracy with new antibody-based hemophilia treatments. The test measures FVIII activity and was cleared by the FDA in 2020. The updated test is expected to be available by the end of the year.

A systematic review in the Annals of Internal Medicine was unable to find completed controlled studies showing that use of multicancer detection tests affects mortality, quality of life or cancer detection. The evidence for the accuracy and potential harms of such tests is insufficient due to limitations in existing studies and inconsistent findings, the authors said.

Researchers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed METa assembly, a method using functional metagenomic libraries that can identify antibiotic resistance genes using 100 times less DNA than traditional methods. The technique involves inserting gene-sized DNA pieces into E. coli to identify resistance by exposing the bacteria to antibiotics. "If we can get a clearer view of the resistance genes out in the environment, that will give biomedical researchers a chance to look out for them in the clinic and potentially design more effective drugs," researcher Terence Crofts said.

A new lab-on-a-chip device uses printed circuit board technology to integrate DNA amplification and electroanalytical detection for point-of-care diagnostics. The lab-on-PCB system uses reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification to amplify genetic material from viruses, including SARS-CoV-2, and uses cyclic voltammetry with a redox-active intercalator to detect the amplified genetic material.

Christopher Garcia, chief digital innovation officer at Mayo Clinic Laboratories, discusses the role of AI and big data in transforming diagnostics. Garcia emphasizes the shift from reactive to predictive care and the integration of various data sources to achieve precision medicine.

The FDA has approved Biocartis' Idylla CDx MSI test, which can identify microsatellite instability-high colorectal cancer in patients who may benefit from nivolumab, alone or in combination with ipilimumab. The test uses a single-use cartridge and delivers results in under three hours.