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Bruker's (BRKR) Research Tools Enable New insight on PACS

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Bruker Corporation (BRKR - Free Report) recently announced clinical research collaboration with the Australian National Phenome Centre (ANPC) at Murdoch University on its molecular phenomics research tools. This collaboration on COVID-19 pheno-conversion and subsequent pheno-reversion has discovered transient and persistent systemic changes of the molecular signatures in patient blood samples three months after the acute COVID-19 disease phase.

ANPC has announced and published a series of seminal papers on the molecular phenome of acute disease and post-acute COVID syndrome (PACS) in patient plasma in collaboration with other academic medical centers, holding Bruker as a key technology partner.

The latest findings highlight the potential of Bruker’s integrated Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and MS assay platform for risk screening for PACS. Notably, these insights are expected to support better post-acute COVID-19 patient management for rapid recovery and a reduction in healthcare costs.

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The studies were performed using Avance  IVDr NMR 600 MHz spectrometers integrated in the ANPC class II biosecurity laboratory together with Bruker and CIC bioGUNE in-vitro diagnostics NMR research technology methods.

The concept of pheno-conversion establishes molecular phenotype biomarkers that can be analyzed for disease progression, severity and treatment. This emphasizes the importance of longitudinal studies on recovered patients for PACS effects and long-term health risks.

Study Findings

The integrated, quantitative NMR and MS assay platform has showed metabolic abnormalities, interactions of metabolic markers with cytokines as well as interactions of lipoproteins with inflammation markers due to COVID-19.

The post-acute follow up research on non-hospitalized and mildly affected COVID-19 patients demonstrated that majority of the patients are not back to normal health even after three months and suffer from PACS, also known as ‘Long COVID’, showing continual symptoms and health dysfunction after the acute infection.

Notably, as discovered by the NMR and MS based pheno-reversion panel, more than 57% of these patients show one or more symptoms up to six months following the acute phase and many of the patients face metabolic abnormalities.

Notable Developments

In May 2021,  Bruker NMR spectroscopy was integrated by the intergovernmental and International Organization of Vine and Wine (OIV) into its compendium of International Methods of Analysis of Wines and Musts for the quantification of six key parameters in wine – glucose, malic acid, acetic acid, fumaric acid, shikimic acid and sorbic acid.

In March 2021, Bruker announced that the Forschungszentrum Juelich (FZJ), Germany, has expanded its research into functional structural biology in neurodegenerative diseases with the addition of a 1.2 GHz Avance NMR spectrometer. At FZJ, novel GHz-class NMR technology will enable advanced research providing a better understanding of structural features of cell membrane proteins, and the molecular mechanisms involved in protein folding and aggregation.

Industry Prospects

Per a report by Market Watch, the global NMR spectrometer market is expected to reach $1.01 billion by 2025 from $886.2 million in 2019, at a CAGR of 3.3%.

Price Performance

Shares of the company have gained 66.6% in a year’s time compared with the industry’s growth of 64.3%.

Zacks Rank and Other Key Picks

Currently, the company carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy).

A few similar-ranked stocks from the broader medical space are National Vision Holdings, Inc. (EYE - Free Report) , Boston Scientific Corporation (BSX - Free Report) and Envista Holdings Corporation (NVST - Free Report) . You can see the complete list of Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

National Vision has a projected long-term earnings growth rate of 23%.

Boston Scientific has a projected long-term earnings growth rate of 9%.

Envista Holdings has an estimated long-term earnings growth rate of 26%.

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