Advertisement
UK markets close in 14 minutes

  • FTSE 100

    7,875.17
    +27.18 (+0.35%)
     

  • FTSE 250

    19,417.93
    +77.79 (+0.40%)
     

  • AIM

    745.00
    +1.88 (+0.25%)
     

  • GBP/EUR

    1.1681
    +0.0014 (+0.12%)
     

  • GBP/USD

    1.2457
    +0.0001 (+0.01%)
     

  • Bitcoin GBP

    51,329.70
    +2,522.10 (+5.17%)
     

  • CMC Crypto 200

    885.54
    0.00 (0.00%)
     

  • S&P 500

    5,053.41
    +31.20 (+0.62%)
     

  • DOW

    38,065.38
    +312.07 (+0.83%)
     

  • CRUDE OIL

    82.27
    -0.42 (-0.51%)
     

  • GOLD FUTURES

    2,396.40
    +8.00 (+0.33%)
     

  • NIKKEI 225

    38,079.70
    +117.90 (+0.31%)
     

  • HANG SENG

    16,385.87
    +134.03 (+0.82%)
     

  • DAX

    17,840.57
    +70.55 (+0.40%)
     

  • CAC 40

    8,024.54
    +43.03 (+0.54%)
     
Money:

Best mortgage deals of the week

As possibility of multiple interest rate cuts dwindle here's what banks and building societies are offering

Agilent (A) Gets FDA Approval for Cervical Cancer Test Assay

Zacks Equity Research
Updated

Agilent Technologies A recently received approval from the FDA for a cervical cancer diagnostic assay, named PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx, for  expanded use.

Following the FDA approval, PD-L1 IHC 22C3 pharmDx became the first IHC test for determining PD-L1 expression in cervical cancer. Also, it is now the first FDA-approved companion diagnostic to identify patients with cervical cancer for treatment with KEYTRUDA.

KEYTRUDA is an anti-PD-1 therapy manufactured by Merck & Co. MRK.

This new step facilitates the company to expand in the growing cancer-diagnostic market.

Coming to share price, Agilent has underperformed its industry on a year-to-date basis. The stock has registered a loss of 11.59% against the industry’s growth of 13.47%.

Agilent’s Role in Healthcare

Currently, the healthcare sector is undergoing a revolution. Personalized medicine is taking the center stage as it provides improved patient care and better manages costs by administering the most appropriate treatment to individuals. It has been found that all treatments are not suitable for those suffering from a specific disease and some require more specialized tests.

ADVERTISEMENT

The advancements could have far-reaching effects on the entire healthcare system, as personalized medicines considerably improve patient care while reducing medical bills.

Agilent has signed several collaborative agreements with pharma and biotech companies on companion diagnostics for the treatment of cancer and other diseases.

Bottom Line

We remain positive about Agilent's broad-based portfolio and increased focus on segments with higher growth potential. Further, the company continues to introduce high-margin products.

According to a report from marketsandmarkets.com, the worldwide cancer diagnostics market may reach $13.1 billion by 2020 from 2015 level of $7.1 billion, driven by several technological advancements in diagnostic platforms.

We believe that the new assay will help Agilent to cash in on the fast-growing healthcare cancer-diagnostics segment.

Agilent Technologies, Inc. Price and Consensus

 

Agilent Technologies, Inc. Price and Consensus | Agilent Technologies, Inc. Quote

Zacks Rank & Stocks to Consider

Currently, Agilent carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). Some better-ranked stocks in the same industry include Groupon GRPN, PetMed Express PETS and Expedia EXPE. While Groupon sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), PetMed and Expedia both carry a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Long-term earnings growth for Groupon, PetMed and Expedia is currently projected to be 6.5%, 10% and 14.5%, respectively.

5 Medical Stocks to Buy Now

Zacks names 5 companies poised to ride a medical breakthrough that is targeting cures for leukemia, AIDS, muscular dystrophy, hemophilia, and other conditions.

New products in this field are already generating substantial revenue and even more wondrous treatments are in the pipeline. Early investors could realize exceptional profits.

Click here to see the 5 stocks >>


Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report
 
PetMed Express, Inc. (PETS) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Expedia, Inc. (EXPE) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Groupon, Inc. (GRPN) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
Agilent Technologies, Inc. (A) : Free Stock Analysis Report
 
To read this article on Zacks.com click here.
 
Zacks Investment Research