Cancer diagnostics company Leica Biosystems has snapped up California-based biotechnology company Cell IDx for an undisclosed price.
Established in 2012, Cell IDx offers multiplex staining panels, tissue staining, and imaging and analysis services.
The company’s UltraPlex technology enables the simultaneous detection of various biomarkers in immunoassays using fluorescent and chromogenic multiplex immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining technology.
It can also enable automated chromogenic detection of multiple markers on the BOND RX fully automated research stainer of Leica Biosystems.
Cell IDx co-founder and former CEO David Schwartz said: “The ability to differentiate multiple targets in brightfield has been a long-standing unmet need in clinical pathology.
“Multiplex chromogenic IHC allows the pathologist to, for example, detect targets inside and outside the tumour. This data on a single tissue section has the potential to inform real time therapy decisions and produce a more focused patient centric approach.
“Getting this technology into the hands of researchers will advance the science of cancer diagnostics and improve lives.”
Using UltraPlex and BOND RX with high-throughput imaging is said to enable researchers for detecting three or more markers chromogenically on a single slide using a basic pathology workflow.
Last year, Leica Biosystems and Cell IDx established a partnership to combine the benefits of UltraPlex and BOND RX. The latest deal will advance their collaboration and provide scale-up capability as well as scientific and medical affairs assistance for Cell IDx’ customers.
Leica Biosystems president Gustavo Perez-Fernandez said: “We are thrilled to welcome Cell IDx to the Leica Biosystems team.
“This acquisition will expand our capabilities in the translational research segment and help researchers to accelerate their journey, transforming scientific exploration into translational outcomes.”
In September this year, Leica Biosystems partnered with Indica Labs to offer compatible digital pathology workflow solutions.
