Agilent Launches CE-IVD TapeStationDx Systems for Clinical NGS Quality Control

EpiSign Inc. and Geneyx Genomex Ltd. announced a partnership to advance the integration of genomic and epigenomic analysis for rare-disease interpretation. Under the collaboration, EpiSign METRIC becomes available to Geneyx customers, letting laboratories incorporate epigenomic evidence alongside genomic and phenotypic information in an integrated interpretation workflow. EpiSign METRIC automates analysis of disease-associated DNA methylation episignatures across more than 300 EpiSign-associated conditions, while EpiSign METRIC 5-base extends that capability beyond methylation microarrays to methylation data generated by Illumina 5-base, PacBio HiFi and Oxford Nanopore sequencing. Geneyx Chief Executive Officer David Yizhar said the partnership combines Geneyx's genomic and multi-omics analysis platform with EpiSign's expertise in DNA methylation and episignatures, and EpiSign co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer Dr. Bekim Sadikovic said genome sequencing increasingly generates genetic and epigenetic information from the same assay. EpiSign Chief Executive Officer Dan Sinai said generating genomic and epigenomic information together from a single assay can reduce wet-lab testing and data-generation costs and shorten the diagnostic odyssey for patients and families. EpiSign METRIC 5-base is available for research use only.

CellCarta has established a strategic partnership with Waters Corporation to jointly pursue companion diagnostic and next-generation flow cytometry opportunities with pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies. The collaboration will initially emphasize flow cytometry-based programs, aiming to give sponsors a coordinated path from biomarker strategy through clinical development, regulatory submission and global commercialization. Waters will provide underlying technology capabilities including instrumentation, reagents, standardized panels, assay development, software analysis, and where appropriate custom reagent and IVD commercialization, while CellCarta will integrate and deploy assays across its global CDx Lab Network, supporting Phase I-III clinical trial testing, analytical and clinical evidence generation, regulatory and logistics support, and commercial laboratory services. The companies cited existing platform alignment between CellCarta's CAP-accredited laboratory in Jining, China and BD flow cytometry platforms as a practical foundation for global sponsors seeking to include China in future multinational CDx and biomarker programs. Todd Chermak, President of CellCarta, said the partnership offers sponsors a more connected path from biomarker strategy through global clinical development and, where appropriate, commercialization, and that the companies are already engaging pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies on near-term opportunities.

Analysts lifted their fair value estimate for Tecan Group from CHF 184.10 to CHF 195.73, reflecting updated price targets across recent research. Berenberg sits at the top of the range with a CHF 240 price target and a Buy rating, while Deutsche Bank raised its target in several steps from CHF 138 to CHF 151, then CHF 176, and most recently CHF 198, maintaining a Hold rating. Morgan Stanley moved its target from CHF 142 to CHF 160 and then to CHF 178 while keeping an Equal Weight stance, and Oddo BHF downgraded the stock to Neutral from Outperform with a CHF 192 target. The revised fair value reflects revenue growth assumptions of 5.53%, down from 5.56%, a net profit margin of 9.57% versus 9.70%, a future P/E of 27.00x versus 23.49x, and a discount rate of 4.90% versus 4.82%.