Yahoo Finance QIAGEN (QGEN) Unveils dPCR Tool, Enhances GeneGlobe Platform
QIAGEN N.V. QGEN recently launched the digital PCR (polymerase chain reaction) Custom Assay Design Tool for copy number variation (CNV) analysis for use on the QIAcuity digital PCR (dPCR) platform. Alongside this, the company announced several other enhancements in its GeneGlobe Design and Analysis Hub — a comprehensive research platform that integrates pre-designed assays with a database of more than 10,000 biological entities, including genes, miRNAs and pathways.
The latest developments aim to support customers with a wide range of assay customization options, from simple to complex and validated multiplex assays, while further improving the user experience. This is also likely to boost QIAGEN’s Life Science business area.
Significance of the New dPCR Custom Assay Design Tool
Genetic research is advancing rapidly, revealing more evolved target genes that are not covered by standard or pre-designed assays. To keep pace and close the need gap, QIAGEN developed the new dPCR Custom Assay Design Tool as an interface on the GeneGlobe platform. It enables customers to design and order assays for use on the QIAcuity dPCR platform outside of the company’s comprehensive catalog of more than 200 wet-lab validated assays for CNV profiling in translational cancer research.
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CNVs are a type of genetic variation where specific segments of the DNA are copied more or fewer times than normal in the genome, potentially affecting susceptibility to diseases and response to treatment. Studying certain CNVs, which are associated with cancer, can improve the understanding of how these variations can affect health and responsiveness to treatments. This knowledge is crucial for advancing precision medicine.
More on the News
Additional enhancements of the GeneGlobe research platform have been launched recently or are currently in development, including more user-friendly design pages that simplify product selection and a new tool for creating, saving and editing target gene lists, supporting researchers in creating their panels, even collaboratively.
Thanks to a software update, pathway maps from QIAGEN’s Ingenuity Pathway Analysis are now rendered faster. QIAGEN is working on improving the searchability of pathways and pathway relationships and plans to expand the interactivity of pathway diagrams, facilitating the import of selected genes into the GeneGlobe Custom Panel Design tools.
The company is building a strong pipeline for customization and plans to expand dPCR Custom Assay Design Tool capabilities to microbial and somatic mutation assays later in 2024. When customers seek higher-order multiplexing or more complex assays, QIAGEN Genomic Services offer expert custom assay design support, and assays are made available in GeneGlobe.
Industry Prospects
Per a Research report, the global dPCR market was valued at $5.96 billion (estimated) in 2022 and is likely to witness a 9.1% CAGR through 2032.
The market’s growth is being driven by the increasing prevalence of infectious diseases and genetic disorders, rising demand for personalized medicine and the need for accurate and reliable detection of cancer biomarkers. Additionally, the emergence of new technologies and advancements in the field of genomics are expected to propel growth in the coming years.
Other Developments in the Life Sciences Business
Last month, QIAGEN launched the QIAseq Multimodal DNA/RNA Library Kit, which enables streamlined DNA and RNA library preparation for next-generation sequencing, such as whole genome sequencing and whole transcriptome sequencing, as well as downstream target enrichment based on hybrid capture from a single sample. The new kit advances precision medicine by facilitating multiomic studies and Comprehensive Genomic Profiling, which is crucial for understanding complex diseases like cancer.
Price Performance
In the past year, QGEN shares have dropped 4.9% compared with the industry’s 9.4% fall.
Zacks Rank and Key Picks
QIAGEN currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).
Some better-ranked stocks in the broader medical space are Hims & Hers Health HIMS, Medpace MEDP and ResMed RMD. Each of them presently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks Rank #1 stocks here.
Hims & Hers Heath stock has surged 131.3% in the past year. Estimates for the company’s earnings have remained constant at 18 cents in 2024 and increased 3.1% to 33 cents in 2025 in the past 30 days.
HIMS’ earnings beat estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed in one, delivering an average surprise of 79.2%. In the last reported quarter, it posted an earnings surprise of a staggering 150%.
Estimates for Medpace’s 2024 earnings per share have moved up to $11.29 from $11.23 in the past 30 days. Shares of the company have surged 84% in the past year compared with the industry’s 4.7% growth.
MEDP’s earnings surpassed estimates in each of the trailing four quarters, the average surprise being 12.8%. In the last reported quarter, it delivered an average earnings surprise of 30.6%.
Estimates for ResMed’s fiscal 2024 earnings per share have moved to $7.70 from $7.64 in the past 30 days. Shares of the company have declined 1.8% in the past year against the industry’s rise of 4.9%.
RMD’s earnings surpassed estimates in three of the trailing four quarters and missed in one, the average surprise being 2.8%. In the last reported quarter, it delivered an earnings surprise of 10.9%.
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