Companies making blood-based cancer screening tests face a number of barriers to full market entry but getting a foothold of any kind can be the start of a path towards greater ultimate uptake.

At Digestive Disease Week, Celltrion will seek to strengthen its hold on the IBD market, Ironwood hopes to expand Linzess into pediatric functional constipation, and competitors will showcase competing short bowel syndrome treatment and colorectal cancer companion diagnostics.  

Quest Diagnostics will buy liquid biopsy start-up Haystack Oncology for a total of $450m with plans to launch a cancer-detection test in 2024.

Recalls on a life-support device used during heart surgery and dialysis tubing were announced this week, as were approvals for a breast cancer companion diagnostic and two cardiac ablation catheters. Additionally, the US FDA has grants available for groups that assist in pediatric device development.