COVID-19

QuidelOrtho reports 37.5% sales growth in first quarter since $6B merger

The testing firm is increasing sales after Quidel merged with Ortho, opening opportunities to cut costs and increase point-of-care and molecular diagnostics revenue.

By Nick Paul Taylor • Aug. 5, 2022

BD’s base business growth in Q3 offset by drop in COVID-19 testing

The company reported a year-over-year drop of about $224 million in COVID-19 testing revenue compared to 2021, with the testing slowdown expected to continue. 

By Ricky Zipp • Aug. 4, 2022

Siemens Healthineers stumbles as lockdowns, falling COVID-19 sales and rising costs hit business

Lockdowns in China caused a steep decline in equipment orders and a big setback to the firm’s core diagnostic business, even as the company expects to meet full year revenue targets.

By Nick Paul Taylor • Aug. 3, 2022

North American Diagnostics latest to recall COVID-19 tests, gets Class I label from FDA

The recall adds to a list of medtech firms that have been forced to withdraw illegally distributed COVID-19 tests, amid concerns they could yield false results.

By Ricky Zipp • Aug. 2, 2022

FDA reauthorizes Meridian’s COVID-19 test after changes to enable omicron detection

The renewed emergency use authorization comes as SD Biosensor works to close its $1.53 billion takeover of Meridian.

By Nick Paul Taylor • Aug. 1, 2022

Core diagnostic growth offsets falling COVID-19 sales at Hologic, Thermo Fisher, Qiagen

Rising demand for core diagnostics offset better-than-feared declines in COVID-19 test sales, shedding light on the companies’ post-pandemic futures.

By Nick Paul Taylor • July 29, 2022

Labcorp lowers forecast after Q2 slowdown, will spin off drug development unit

A drop in COVID-19 testing contributed to the company’s second quarter decline, while its base business grew by 1.2% compared to last year.

By Ricky Zipp • July 28, 2022

Friday Q&A: Matthew Binnicker, Mayo Clinic's director of clinical virology, talks COVID-19, monkeypox testing

With cases of both viruses rising across the U.S., clinical laboratories are bringing in staff to ramp up monkeypox testing, even as demand falls for clinical diagnostics of COVID-19.

By Elise Reuter • July 22, 2022

Quest Diagnostics raises 2022 revenue forecast amid continued demand for COVID testing

The company boosted its outlook for the diagnostics unit even as the division posted a 31% decline in revenue in the second quarter.

By Ricky Zipp • July 21, 2022

Defibrillators, chest drains added to FDA's list of device shortages

The defibrillator supply disruption reflects both increased demand and problems sourcing a component, part or accessory.

By Nick Paul Taylor • July 20, 2022

Diagnostic sector faces a 'challenging set-up' amid economic slowdown: analysts

Goldman Sachs warned there will be “limited visibility over the course of the year,” adding that companies may need to focus more on demonstrating their paths to profitability.

By Nick Paul Taylor • July 19, 2022

Friday Q&A: Ian Lipkin, Columbia epidemiologist, talks COVID-19 testing as U.S. sees another wave

Lipkin explained why he’s not a fan of antigen tests, and stressed the need to keep PCR testing a core part of the pandemic response.

By Elise Reuter • July 15, 2022

Abbott, Intuitive, J&J to kick off quarterly earnings season next week as recession threat looms

Earnings results are poised to set expectations for the impact of a potential slowdown and shed light on trends with implications for companies including Boston Scientific, Medtronic and Stryker.

By Nick Paul Taylor • July 15, 2022

With COVID testing on the wane, small diagnostics companies shift focus

Startups that grew quickly from large contracts are looking nervously to a new future, as demand plummets for mass testing and shifts to homes.

By Elise Reuter • July 13, 2022

Hologic, Thermo Fisher roll out respiratory panels for Europe ahead of cold and flu season

Australia’s experience suggests Europe and other parts of the northern hemisphere may face high levels of respiratory disease this winter.

By Nick Paul Taylor • July 12, 2022

SD Biosensor agrees to buy Meridian Bioscience for $1.53B in bid to enter U.S. IVD market

The Cincinnati-based diagnostics company says being acquired will help it enter new markets as part of SD Biosensor, as the COVID-detection business wanes.

By Elise Reuter • July 7, 2022

'Little sign' that digital tools are being deployed effectively in fight against COVID outbreak, study finds

To help reduce the spread of the next pandemic, there is “a substantial practical advantage” to integrating the features of multiple smartphone apps, a Scripps Research Translational Institute team found.

By Nick Paul Taylor • July 6, 2022

American Contract Systems' COVID-19 test recall gets Class I label from FDA

Off-site assembly by workers who may not have been properly trained prompted the company to recall COVID-19 tests amid concerns they may yield false results. 

By Nick Paul Taylor • Updated July 6, 2022

COVID-19 antigen test sensitivity could be as low as 60% with omicron: FDA

The tests have taken a “really big hit in sensitivity” with the omicron variant, raising doubts about the ability of a single test to provide a definitive diagnosis, according to the agency.

By Elise Reuter • July 5, 2022

Cue Health cuts 170 jobs amid 'economic challenges,' decline in COVID-19 testing

With a contract to test the National Basketball Association, IPO funding and a $481 million government contract, Cue Health grew its headcount more than 10-fold in the pandemic.

By Nick Paul Taylor • June 28, 2022

As cross-state telemedicine waivers expire, virtual care advocates focus on long-term policy changes

There’s a complication: No one solution to the U.S.’ patchy physician licensing infrastructure has universal buy-in.

By Rebecca Pifer • June 22, 2022

How a sports apparel company helped one Virginia health system pivot to reusable gowns

Personal protective equipment shortages forced Inova to find new ways to protect workers.

By Samantha Liss • June 21, 2022

Medical device companies to curb spending as recession threat clouds longer-term outlook: analysts

The supply chain and inflation issues that have affected medical device companies in the first half of 2022 likely will persist through the rest of the year, according to RBC Capital Markets.

By Nick Paul Taylor • June 13, 2022

GE Healthcare says contrast media production back to full capacity

The shortage of the injectable used for medical imaging started in April, when the company’s plant in Shanghai shut down due to rising COVID-19 cases.

By Nick Paul Taylor • Updated June 17, 2022

LabCorp becomes first company to get EUA for direct-to-consumer test for flu, RSV, COVID-19

The kit allows individuals to self-collect nasal swab samples at home to send to LabCorp, which will test for the presence of influenza A and B, respiratory syncytial virus and SARS-CoV-2.

By Nick Paul Taylor • May 18, 2022