Roche has acquired IQuum, a privately held company focused on developing point-of-care offerings for the molecular diagnostics market. Roche will pay IQuum shareholders $275 million upfront and up to $175 million in contingent product-related milestones.

The acquisition will provide Roche with access to IQuum’s Laboratory-in-a-tube (Liat) System, which enables healthcare workers to perform rapid molecular diagnostic testing in a point-of-care setting, closer to patients and with minimal training. The Liat Analyzer and Liat Influenza A/B Assay, the first test available for use on the system, produce reliable and accurate lab-like results and are CE marked and FDA cleared.

“With IQuum, we further strengthen our molecular diagnostics offerings with cutting-edge technology and products that serve the point-of-care segment. Patients will benefit from on-the-spot and accurate diagnoses, which will allow healthcare professionals to make rapid, informed treatment decisions in flexible settings,” said Roland Diggelmann, chief operating officer of Roche Diagnostics. Once the transaction is complete, IQuum will be integrated into Roche Molecular Diagnostics.