September 25, 2025 | GE HealthCare enters an agreement to acquire icometrix; Beckman Coulter Diagnostics launches the industry's first fully automated brain-derived Tau (BD-Tau) research use only (RUO) immunoassay test; and more.
GE HealthCare has entered into an agreement to acquire icometrix, a company focused on providing AI-powered brain imaging analysis for neurological disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease to meet the growing demand for MRI in personalized treatment planning. The planned acquisition of icometrix aligns with GE HealthCare’s precision care strategy and is expected to strengthen the company’s clinical decision support applications for timely diagnosis and monitoring throughout the neuro treatment pathways by offering enhanced patient access to the technology. GE HealthCare expects to integrate the icometrix icobrain platform with its MRI systems to complement its MR-guided AI-assisted scanning expertise with analysis and reporting in neurological disease assessment. Press release.
Xpedite Diagnostics GmbH announced the CE-IVD certification and launch of SwiftX Virus, a one-step DNA/RNA extraction kit for human serum and plasma. SwiftX Virus delivers PCR-ready viral RNA and bacterial DNA in just six minutes. The kit uses Xpedite’s proprietary reverse purification technology, eliminating the need for centrifuges, spin columns, or hazardous solvents. Designed for professional diagnostics, SwiftX Virus empowers laboratories, hospitals, and field settings with a fast, reliable, and contamination-minimized workflow ideal for point-of-care testing. Press release.
Altesa BioSciences and bioMérieux have entered a partnership to use the BIOFIRE SPOTFIRE respiratory solution as its core point-of-care diagnostics platform at U.S. sites for Altesa's upcoming Phase 2B clinical trial. The trial will be a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study examining the safety and efficacy of vapendavir—a direct-acting antiviral medicine—to treat rhinovirus infections in patients with COPD. The study will recruit 600 participants with GOLD stage II, III and IV COPD. Press release.
VedaBio announced a non-exclusive license agreement with Mammoth Biosciences for the use of select CRISPR-based technologies in diagnostic applications. The agreement provides VedaBio with access to foundational CRISPR intellectual property, enabling the company to accelerate development of purpose-built diagnostic solutions. This alliance reinforces VedaBio’s commitment to building a next-generation platform designed for speed and accuracy, with an initial focus on decentralized healthcare settings. Press release.
Beckman Coulter Diagnostics has launched the industry's first fully automated Brain-derived Tau (BD-Tau) research use only (RUO) immunoassay test. Access to BD-Tau, along with Beckman Coulter Diagnostics' expanding portfolio of neurodegenerative disease RUO assays, is available for use on the groundbreaking DxI 9000 Immunoassay Analyzer and Access 2 Analyzer. This portfolio of assays enables precision medicine research on clinical-grade platforms for a variety of neurodegenerative diseases and includes p‑Tau217, NfL, GFAP and APOE ε4. Press release.
Seegene launched the 2025–2026 Nature Awards MDx Impact Grants in partnership with Springer Nature, the publisher of the prestigious scientific journal Nature. This year's program will focus on antibiotic resistance in urinary tract infections (UTI-DR), one of the most pressing public health challenges worldwide. The Nature Awards MDx Impact Grants are designed to complement ongoing global initiatives in diagnostics and provide researchers with resources to accelerate practical solutions. The 2024-2025 cycle supported projects focused on rapid detection of ViruResist Klebsiella pneumoniae and multiplex PCR assay for viral detection in immunocompromised patients. Press release.
QIAGEN announced the launch of QIAstat‑Dx Rise – a version of the QIAstat-Dx automated syndromic testing system that offers unparalled throughput with the easiest workflow available to customers worldwide. The new system, which received FDA clearance, is designed to meet the needs of hospitals and reference laboratories seeking highly automated syndromic testing with automated loading and unloading of cartridges, access to priority handling of urgent samples and only a minimum of hands-on time. Press release.
Revvity announced the opening of its new In Vivo Imaging Center of Excellence in Morrisville, North Carolina. The purpose of the site is to advance next-generation instruments, optical, x-ray CT, multi-modal AI analysis software, and ultrasound systems. The new facility is staffed by R&D teams from across the organization, including software, hardware, and applied biology/applications teams, as well as those specialized in machine learning, optical, microCT, and ultrasound. Combined, these teams will help create opportunities and develop scientific solutions, addressing challenges in disease researchers’ workflows. Press release.
Veracyte announced that data published online in Cell show that the Decipher Prostate Genomic Classifier predicts which patients with metastatic cancer are likely to benefit from treatment intensification with the chemotherapy docetaxel and which are not likely to benefit and can therefore avoid unnecessary toxicity. The findings—from the randomized, prospective, Phase 3 STAMPEDE trial—are the first to be published showing that a gene expression test can help clinicians better personalize chemotherapy decisions for patients with metastatic prostate cancer. Press release.
Veracyte has also met its targeted enrollment for the NIGHTINGALE trial, which aims to evaluate the clinical utility of its Percepta Nasal Swab test. The milestone marks an important step in Veracyte’s goal of making the novel molecular test widely available and helping clinicians to better guide next steps for patients with potentially cancerous lung nodules. The Percepta Nasal Swab test uses a simple brush to acquire nasal epithelial cells for the assessment of molecular changes linked to lung cancer risk in patients with lung nodules and a history of smoking. The prospective, randomized, blinded NIGHTINGALE trial has now successfully enrolled 2,400 patients at over 90 academic and community centers across the US. Press release.
BetterWay blood testing by Babson Diagnostics announced the addition of six important offerings to its menu: an Iron Panel (consisting of four tests), Cortisol, and Quantitative hCG Pregnancy. The new Quantitative hCG Pregnancy test-the same blood test ordered by doctors to confirm pregnancy-offers several advantages over traditional at-home tests, including a convenient, affordable alternative to multiple at-home tests; providing the same quantitative test ordered by doctors; and enabling confirmation of pregnancy sooner, helping patients and clinicians make timely health decisions. Press release.