PRENETICS

Beating the Big C

• Important strides are being made in healthcare every day, and we’re working towards a future where the  Big C is completely manageable, and care is personalized. 500-backed biotech company Prenetics is making moves to make that a reality by acquiring ACT Genomics, a company that specializes in precision oncology.
• According to the Wall Street Journal, this positions Prenetics as a leader in a US$80B+ market, answering the need to prevent and detect the deadliest cancers at earlier, more treatable stages and enabling impactful solutions for cancer treatment.
• ACT Genomics is no fledgling in the industry. The company operates labs in Hong Kong, Taiwan, Japan, Singapore, Thailand, and the UK, performing over 30,000 clinical tests to date. The team has collaborated with 2,200 doctors, including more than 900 oncologists, as well as 55 pharmaceutical research partners including AstraZeneca, Bayer, and Merck, and leading research institutes such as the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Kyoto University, National University of Singapore, and National Health Research Institute of Taiwan.
• Co-founder & CEO of Prenetics Danny Yeung shared that the team is planning to build an ecosystem to enable the utilization of genetic information in personalized cancer care. In the immediate term, Prenetics will add cancer genetics and precision oncology tests to their existing portfolio of consumer DNA testing and medical genomics products.
• “With the addition of ACT’s technologies, capabilities and team, Prenetics will be well-positioned to accelerate the utilization of genetic information throughout a cancer patient’s journey. Starting from risk profiling and diagnostic testing, moving to therapy optimization, monitoring and recurrence surveillance, Prenetics will be able to deliver the information needed to enable best-in-class personalized cancer care,” Danny said.
• “Every year in Asia, there are 9 million+ cancer patients with limited options. It is our goal to democratize testing and make cancer genomics accessible to all,” he added. He also shared that the team is in active discussions on more M&A opportunities.
• Read the full article on the Wall Street Journal. A subscription may be required.

AERODYNE 

Branching out to Brazil

• In more acquisition news, 500-backed drone tech company Aerodyne Group signed an agreement to acquire a majority stake in Grupo DR1, one of the leading professional drone operators and service providers in Brazil. In line with the company’s global expansion plan, this strategic investment marks the team’s entry into Brazil, the largest market in Latin America (LATAM)!
• What does this mean for Aerodyne? Well, the team is partnering with an established company that has a 90% market share in offshore drone inspections, presenting them with the opportunity to tap into LATAM’s largest oil and gas drone services projects.
• “This investment is a platform for Aerodyne to expand our footprint into Brazil and to export our technology solutions and other value-added services to Grupo DR1’s existing clientele and beyond,” said Aerodyne’s Chief Strategy Officer Amir Zakwan Anuar.
• What’s more, the company revealed that this is only the first of a new wave of investments in the pipeline — all to consolidate the drone technology market.
• Read the full story on TechNode Global.