Biodesix has acquired Integrated Diagnostics for an undisclosed sum to add the XL2 lung-cancer test to its molecular diagnostics line-up and to acquire technology and expertise that can improve its biopharma business.

While liquid biopsy is becoming routine for cancer treatment stratification and monitoring, using blood tests to screen for early cancer in asymptomatic people remains a tantalizing target. Some question how practical such a test could be but several companies are already en route - some further down the road than others - to achieve this goal. Illumina spin-out Grail is one of these companies and while it is not alone, in a field where size matters, it may have an advantage. This article delves deeper into how these different technologies work and when they could reach the market.

Women’s health startups focusing on areas of high unmet need such as menopause, infertility, preventive care and post-partum care will continue to attract investors in 2024. Meanwhile, machine learning and AI, as well as next-generation treatments such as psychedelic therapy, stand to drive advancements in the space.