Nanosphere Signs Molecular Diagnostic Supply Agreement With HealthTrust

NORTHBROOK, Ill., June 23, 2014  -- Nanosphere, Inc. (NSPH), a company enhancing medicine through targeted molecular diagnostics, today announced that it has been selected by HealthTrust as a provider of multi-target molecular diagnostic tests for the nearly 1,400 acute care facilities that are part of the HealthTrust membership.

Under this agreement, HealthTrust will offer its members access to purchase Nanosphere's portfolio of Verigene(R) multiplex molecular diagnostic infectious disease tests, including those designed to rapidly and accurately detect infections of the bloodstream, respiratory tract and gastrointestinal tract.

Biocept Expands Breast Cancer Offering

Blood-based OncoCEE-BR(TM) Platform now Includes Estrogen Receptor Testing

SAN DIEGO, June 2, 2014 -- Biocept, Inc. (BIOC), a molecular oncology diagnostics company specializing in biomarker analysis of cell-free circulating tumor DNA and circulating tumor cells (CTCs), today announced the launch of its estrogen receptor (ER) status testing on CTCs that will be performed at the Company's CLIA-certified and CAP-accredited laboratory.

The launch of ER status testing, in conjunction with the Company's HER2 receptor status test, will offer health care providers an additional testing option when a tumor biopsy is unavailable or unsafe. For patients with recurring or newly diagnosed metastatic breast cancer, accurate identification of hormone (ER) and HER2 receptors status plays a major role in treatment outcomes.

Venaxis Files for FDA Clearance of APPY1 Test

Submission follows positive data from U.S. pivotal study

Venaxis, Inc. (APPY), an in vitro diagnostic company focused on obtaining FDA clearance for and commercializing its CE Marked APPY1™ Test, a rapid, multiple biomarker-based index assay for identifying patients that are at low risk for appendicitis, today announced that it has filed a 510(k) premarket submission for the APPY1 Test.  Venaxis™ has requested concurrent de novo determination and 510(k) clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 

Steve Lundy, President and CEO of Venaxis, stated, "We are highly encouraged by the positive results from our pivotal clinical study, and I would like to thank all of our clinical partners and staff for the excellent work on this pivotal trial and submission.  We look forward to working collaboratively with the FDA as they review our submission."

Publication Reports Clinical Utility of BGM Galectin-3(R) Test for Prediction of Near-Term Rehospitalization in Patients With Heart Failure

BG Medicine, Inc. (BGMD) announced today the publication of results, in the American Heart Journal, of an analysis of aggregated data from three large, multicenter clinical research trials in the United States and Europe. The trials included a total of 902 heart failure patients and demonstrated that elevations of galectin-3 levels in blood, as measured using the BGM Galectin-3(R) Test, were significantly predictive of rehospitalization for heart failure as early as within the first 30 days following discharge from an initial hospital stay. [1]