Former Ignyta executive Zachary Hornby wasn't wowed by immuno-oncology pitches when looking for his next cancer drug development company, but was intrigued by ecDNA research at UCSD, which also could generate a tumor agnostic approach.

Champions Oncology has developed TumorGraft, a novel predictive chemo-response technology that allows companies to simulate clinical trials, test anticancer drug regimens, and identify the regimens most likely to positively impact individual cancer tumors. For the clinical trial simulation capabilities alone, the technology has a market potential of $1.6 billion in the US, according to the company.

After reassessing its China strategy, Charles River makes a new push by acquiring Vital River, the largest supplier of laboratory animals in China.

As heaps of genetic and chemical data pile up in research databases, Molecular Applications Group is trying to build a business in bioinformatics. But the industry is so new, neither the goals nor the rules are clear. Pricing, service, and standardization are key issues as MAG and its competitors look for business models that not only work today, but can evolve as well.