By Joseph Burns, from the Volume XXVI No. 10 – July 22, 2019 issue
CEO SUMMARY: In May, the FDA announced clearance for Leica Biosystems to market its Aperio AT2 DX System for clinical diagnosis in the United States. The Aperio AT2 DX System is intended for in vitro diagnostic use as an aid to pathologists reviewing and interpreting digital images of surgical pathology slides prepared from formalin-fixed paraffin
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XXV No. 15 – October 22, 2018 issue
In a time of shrinking lab budgets and falling prices for lab tests in the United States, how are the larger in vitro diagnostic (IVD) manufacturers doing? A look at third-quarter financial reports provides useful insights as to which segments within the IVD industry are doing better than others.
In alphabetical order, here’s a quick snapshot
By Joseph Burns, from the Volume XXV No. 12 – August 20, 2018 issue
DURING HER ADDRESS TO THE ANNUAL MEETING of the American Clinical Laboratory Association meeting in March, Rep. Diana DeGette (D-Colo.) explained why she and others in Congress had developed the Diagnostic Accuracy and Innovation Act (DAIA), a discussion draft that would give the FDA authority to regulate laboratory developed and in vitro diagnostic tests. At
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XXV No. 11 – July 30, 2018 issue
Clinical labs and physicians can soon say goodbye to “meaningful use.” Federal officials are proposing a significant change to the Medicare and Medicaid EHR Incentive program for certified EHRs that has been in existence since 2011. In a press release issued last spring, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued a proposed rule.
By Joseph Burns, from the Volume XXV No. 6 – April 16, 2018 issue
IN PREPARED REMARKS at a clinical lab industry meeting last month, FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb, MD, outlined steps the federal Food and Drug Administration would take to reduce the regulatory burden on labs that develop next-generation gene sequencing and lab-developed tests. He also explained some of the ways that the agency could be more flexible
By Joseph Burns, from the Volume XXV No. 5 – March 26, 2018 issue
CEO SUMMARY: FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said the FDA wants to reduce the regulatory burden on developers of next-generation sequencing (NGS) and laboratory-developed tests (LTDs). He also wants to give the FDA more flexibility in how it conducts clinical analysis and validation. To do so, the agency would work with third parties, such as the
By Joseph Burns, from the Volume XXV No. 3 – February 12, 2018 issue
“Today, patients want to get diagnosis and treatment faster with fewer visits to the doctor’s office. They want speedier and more comprehensive delivery of clinical services, be it laboratory tests, imaging, or other procedures.”
—Ralph Taylor, President, Sysmex America, Inc.
CEO Summary: To bring testing closer to patients, clinical laboratories will need to offer sophisticated point-of-care systems
By Robert Michel, from the Volume XXIV, No. 17 – December 11, 2017 issue
CEO SUMMARY: In hindsight, 2017 is likely to be remembered as a milestone year that launched several disruptive developments that will reshape the lab industry moving forward. For the clinical laboratory sector this year, CMS confirmed its intent to slash Part B clinical laboratory test prices aggressively, effective Jan. 1. For the anatomic pathology sector
By Jon Stone, from the Volume XXIV, No. 15 – October 30, 2017 issue
CEO SUMMARY: After nearly two years of legal battles, Abbott Laboratories’ acquisition of Alere concluded on Oct. 3. Despite antitrust requirements to divest several of Alere’s diagnostic businesses to Quidel and Siemens Healthineers, the merger makes Abbott the world’s largest provider of point-of-care testing systems. Hospitals and clinical laboratories buying POC products from Abbott and
By Joseph Burns, from the Volume XXIV, No. 7 – May 15, 2017 issue
CEO SUMMARY: As one response to the FDA’s efforts to regulate laboratory-developed tests, some large labs and IVD manufacturers organized the Diagnostic Test Working Group. It has engaged with congressional officials to draft legislation that would establish a risk-based review of both laboratory-developed tests and in vitro diagnostic test kits, changing current regulatory protocols for
