Latest News

  • New Zika Diagnostics, Image Analysis Updates: News and Briefs

    Diagnostics World Briefs | News and product launches from diagnostics technologies, bio IT, and clinical IT include new Zika diagnostics, more funding for N-of-One, and image analysis software.

    Aug 1, 2016
  • Theranos promises first peek at the science of its blood tests

    STAT | The embattled blood-testing company's CEO, Elizabeth Holmes, is drawing skepticism as she prepares to present data at a scientific conference Monday.

    Jul 29, 2016
  • The Case for Whole Gene Sequencing in Newborns

    Diagnostics World | Researchers mining data in California’s cystic fibrosis (CF) newborn screening registry have identified an additional mutation that is linked to later onset disease, but is usually missed in newborn screening. There is room for improvement, and CF is a particularly strong testbed.

    Jul 28, 2016
  • LabCorp Boosts Prenatal Testing Presence with $371M Sequenom Deal

    Xconomy | LabCorp, already a giant in diagnostics and laboratory testing, is building its capabilities in prenatal testing with an agreement to acquire Sequenom in a a $371 million deal.

    Jul 27, 2016
  • A Sniff Test For Alzheimers Checks For The Ability To Identify Odors Shots

    NPR.org | New research suggests it may be possible to spot people in the early stages of Alzheimer's by testing their ability to recognize fragrances. The goal is a quick and inexpensive screening test.

    Jul 26, 2016
  • Craig Venter’s Latest Production

    MIT Technology Review | With more data, a pioneer of gene sequencing hopes to unlock the connections between DNA and illness.

    Jul 25, 2016
  • Theranos Names Quality, Compliance Execs

    Diagnostics World Brief | Theranos continues to rearrange deck chairs in hopes of righting the ship. Today the company announced the appointment of two new executives to lead the company’s regulatory, quality and compliance efforts. Both are reporting to Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes, who earlier this month was banned from owning or operating a medical laboratory for two years.

    Jul 21, 2016
  • New Draft Guidances Highlight Oversight of Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)-Based Testing

    Diagnostics World  On July 8, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released two pivotal draft guidances on the emerging role of next generation sequencing (NGS)-based in vitro diagnostics (IVDs). The technology is becoming the go-to method for quick determination of gene variants that might be causative for an array of diseases, such as breast cancer, colon cancer, and muscular dystrophy. Each draft guidance has a different purpose, but both emphasize using best practices and building quality into the processes of using NGS- based IVDs so they have clinical validity.

    Jul 19, 2016
  • The White House Is Pushing Precision Medicine but It Won’t Happen for Years

    MIT Technology Review | For starters, it's too expensive and the science isn't advanced enough.

    Jul 18, 2016
  • The Pan-Cancer Screen Still Early for Prime Time

    Xconomy | Imagine you could go to your doctor once a year for a blood test that would detect nearly every common type of cancer at an early stage. A lot of companies are working on that type of molecular diagnostic, but is it still too early to expect that test?

    Jul 18, 2016
  • JAX, AMA, Scripps Launch Genomic Education for Physicians

    Diagnostics World | The American Medical Association (AMA), in partnership with Scripps Translational Science Institute (Scripps) and The Jackson Laboratory (JAX), have announced a new online program aimed at educating physicians and other health care professionals on the benefits and limitations of genetic testing and when it is appropriate to incorporate it into their practices.

    Jul 14, 2016
  • Illumina Reanalyzes Prenatal Screening False Positives

    New England Journal of Medicine | In a letter to the editor, Diana Bianchi and two Illumina scientists present updated screening test results for the CARE cohort using updated technology, and finds that there were both technological and biological reasons for false positives

    Jul 13, 2016
  • Prostate Diagnostics, Medical Genetics in Hong Kong, Family Genomics

    Diagnostics World News | Diagnostic news and product launches include prostate cancer diagnostic test gets expanded coverage, Baylor University partners on a Hong Kong center for medical genetics, and Sure Genomics launches a family health app.

    Jul 12, 2016
  • Theranos Founder Elizabeth Holmes Is Barred From Running Lab for 2 Years

    The New York Times | U.S. regulators also revoked the operating license of a Theranos lab and levied a fine. The sanctions were a major setback for the once high-flying blood-testing start-up.

    Jul 8, 2016
  • Functional Finds: Building a Database for Variant Lookup

    Diagnostics World Ranomics is capturing attention with its database of genomic variants. Counting BGI and Veritas among its new customers, the Toronto-based biotech startup plans to model and test every missense mutation to make genetic tests "more accurate and more conclusive than ever."

    Jul 7, 2016