NEWS
SYNLAB expands iFAST partnership
Pathology services provider SYNLAB UK & Ireland has announced the expansion of its partnership with iFAST Diagnostics, making it the firm’s first commercial laboratory partner in the UK.
Following validation earlier this year,
SYNLAB’s work with iFAST will focus on integrating rapid antimicrobial susceptibility testing (AST) into laboratory workflows, and on developing the evidence healthcare organisations and NHS decision-makers need to support adoption at scale. Antimicrobial resistance (AMR)
presents a major threat to human health. In England alone, healthcare professionals see approximately 400 new reported case of antibiotic-resistant infections every week. Globally, one in six bacterial infections are now resistant to treatment, and this figure is rising. Delivering a correct diagnosis quickly is crucial to beating antimicrobial resistance. iFAST’s technology delivers results in less than three hours, a significant improvement on the usual turnaround time of 72 hours, and this speed enables fast, well informed treatment decisions at the point they mater most for patients. The new partnership agreement
between SYNLAB and iFAST will build on the existing programme of shared research evaluation. The iFAST system research evaluation will continue with Southwest Pathology Services (SPS), while the iFAST ONE AST system will be rolled out for routine clinical use. Professor Dominic Harrington, Chief
Scientific Officer, SYNLAB UK & Ireland, commented: “SYNLAB has been working with iFAST since before the company formed in 2023, when the team were based at Southampton University, and I am delighted that our partnership is continuing. This collaboration has big potential impact on the fight against antimicrobial resistance and in effective care for the patients of tomorrow.”
RCPath hosts Industry Leaders’ Forum
The Royal College of Pathologists (RCPath) recently welcomed 100 stakeholders from across diagnostics and pharmaceutical industries, government, trade associations and its membership for a one-day Industry Leaders’ Forum to support delivery of its corporate engagement strategy. The event programme combined
speaker-led talks, audience Q&A, and breakout group discussions and offered a unique opportunity for representatives from the corporate sector to share insights and exchange knowledge with RCPath Fellows, other professional bodies and government. After RCPath President Dr Bernie Croal
welcomed delegates and shared an update on the College’s corporate engagement work since the inaugural Industry Leaders’ Forum held in 2024, the event opened with a recorded address from Dr Zubir Ahmed MP, Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the Department of Health and Social Care. The day’s keynote address was delivered
by Dr Rhydian Phillips, Director of Diagnostics and Transport at NHS England, who presented a talk entitled ‘Transforming Pathology: Delivering for Patients, Enabling the NHS’ in which he shared NHS England’s delivery approach to transforming
diagnostics. Dr Phillips spoke of five priority areas for NHS pathology between 2026 and 2030: delivering performance improvement, improving patient access for different care models, supporting system resilience, supporting digital innovation, and improving pathology network effectiveness. Further speakers included Helen Dent,
CEO of BIVDA, who spoke about the Life Sciences Sector Plan; Ravi Chana, Executive Director, Diagnostics, at ABHI, presented a summary of the NHS Cancer Plan; and Dr Andy Clarke, who shared some research he had conducted across Yorkshire NHS Trusts on productivity in histopathology. Pictured above are (left-right): RCPath
President, Dr Bernie Croal; Dr Rhydian Phillips, NHS England; Professor Sarah Coupland, RCPath Registrar and President- elect; and Professor Peter Johnston, RCPath Vice President.
PathAI acquired by Roche
Roche has announced that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire PathAI, a US-based company in digital pathology and AI-powered technology for pathology laboratories and the biopharma industry. This acquisition builds on the successful
partnership between Roche and PathAI, established in 2021 and scaled up in 2024 to include the development of AI-enabled companion diagnostic algorithms. Subject to the closing of the transaction, which is expected in the second half of the year, the acquired entity will become part of the Roche Diagnostics division. This acquisition strengthens Roche’s
position in digital pathology, which is transforming manual workflows into fully automated, AI-driven processes and insights. PathAI’s Image Management System (IMS) with advanced AI analysis and workflow capabilities will complement Roche’s digital pathology portfolio to drive laboratory efficiency. “Digital pathology has the potential to
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improve precision diagnosis of cancer and enable physicians to offer beter tailored treatment regimens,” said Mat Sause, CEO of Roche Diagnostics. “Bringing PathAI into Roche Diagnostics will allow us to combine its best-in-class digital pathology tools with our leading oncology diagnosis platforms to deliver beter insights for physicians and potentially beter outcomes for patients worldwide.” PathAI’s AISight IMS software interface
is efficient and user-friendly, seamlessly integrating advanced analysis and workflow capabilities within the digital pathology laboratory. In the rapidly growing pathology market, Roche intends to scale this solution globally. The closing of the transaction is subject
to customary closing conditions, including antitrust and regulatory approvals and is currently expected in the second half of the year. Under the terms of the agreement, Roche will pay a purchase price of $750 million (US) upfront and additional milestone payments of up to $300 million.
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