MB
While NGS continues to get faster and cheaper, there is still a place for Rapid PCR systems. A lot of labs still run Sanger, pyrosequencing etc. Several users are flow charting out how Idylla can be used in conjunction with NGS to lower costs and speed results. A lot of the MDx hype and money is flowing into methylation-based technologies that can be used with liquid biopsy samples to determine if circulating cancer mutations are present and then evaluate the likely tissue of origin. Grail, Exact and Fisher are all pursuing similar goals. This is likely a few years off and there are issues that will need to be worked out. I don't think BCART will compete in this area of liquid biopsy but I think it will carve out several niche markets,
2021 could be a very good and pivotal year. The infectious disease market will continue well thru midyear and there is a large backlog of deferred oncology MDx testing. Ultimately, BCART is at the point where they must demonstrate that it is not the place where partnerships and collaborations go to die. They must sense that patience is running out since Verrelst's statement emphasizes the acceleration of test menu expansion. As I said earlier, the tailwinds coming out of the pandemic and the registrations (China, Japan, US) should become evident in the 2nd half of 2021, I'm allowing more time, but each investor needs to determine for themselves whether sufficient progress is being made.
FL