Multibillion dollar diagnostics services business Sonic Healthcare has acquired a significant minority stake in Microba Life Sciences and struck a strategic partnership with the gut health business.
The company already generates revenue from its gut microbiome testing services and the biotech is in the early stages of developing microbial cell therapies for inflammatory bowel disease, cancer immunotherapy and autoimmune disease. “We see microbiome testing becoming a key part of pathology over coming years and we are excited about the potential of this partnership and the opportunities that Microba’s technology will provide for Sonic’s global operations, our referring clinicians, and our patients,” he said.Microba, led by CEO Luke Reid, was formed in 2017, when it bought the intellectual property for its testing technology from the University of Queensland.