US pharmaceutical group Merck is in talks to buy Revolution Medicines, a cancer drugmaker with a market capitalisation of more than $20bn in what would be the latest big deal in the red-hot biotechnology sector.

SOPHiA GENETICS (NASDAQ: SOPH), a global leader in AI-driven precision medicine, and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center today announced a strategic collaboration that unites SOPHiA GENETICS' AI-powered analytics with MD Anderson's clinical and scientific expertise to accelerate data-driven cancer care through new tools that can accurately analyze, interpret and translate diagnostic results into clinical practice.

Chinese molecular diagnostics and precision medicine firm GenePlus Technology said on Sunday that it has filed for an initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Singlera Genomics said on Tuesday that it has entered into a research and distribution agreement with EU-based international medical company Pure Medical for its cell-free DNA detection products.

Zydus Lifesciences said on Friday that it has signed an agreement to exclusively commercialize a trio of Myriad Genetics cancer tests in India.

Guardant Health Japan said Monday that it has received approval from that country's Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare (MHLW) for its Guardant360 CDx as a companion diagnostic for identifying ESR1 mutations in breast cancer patients.

Results of a Phase I clinical trial published on Tuesday demonstrate that Personalis' minimal residual disease (MRD) assay, NeXT Personal, accurately predicts immunotherapy response across multiple metastatic solid tumor cancer types.

Roche said Monday that the US Food and Drug Administration has approved the company's Pathway anti-HER2/neu (4B5) Rabbit Monoclonal Primary Antibody and Ventana HER2 Dual ISH DNA Probe Cocktail tests, clearing them for identifying HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer (mBC) patients who may be eligible for treatment with AstraZeneca's Enhertu (trastuzumab deruxtecan).

Natera said Friday that it is collaborating with oncology research firm Medica Scientia Innovation Research (MEDSIR) on the MiRaDoR breast cancer trial for hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative breast cancer.

The US Food and Drug Administration's recent proposal to reclassify companion diagnostic assays as Class Il devices may lead to additional opportunities for diagnostic test manufacturers, diagnostic industry stakeholders claim.