Roche acquires Germany's Signature Diagnostics

Swiss cancer drugs giant Roche (ROG: SIX) has acquired Signature Diagnostics, a privately-held company based in Potsdam, Germany. Financial terms of the transaction, which is the fifth deal in the past year aimed at building Roche’s molecular diagnostics business, were not disclosed.

Signature is a translational oncology and genomics company that develops large blood plasma and tissue biobanks in multiple cancers, including colorectal and lung, which are constructed from multicenter prospective clinical studies. Signature uses the samples from its biobanks along with accompanying clinical progression and genetic data to develop and validate circulating cell free DNA (cfDNA) tests which have the potential to advance non-invasive treatment response monitoring for patients with cancer.

Unique bridge between high value cancer biobanks and NGS