Philippe Archinard was one of the top executives at bioMerieux, the eighth largest diagnostics company, and a potential heir to Alain Merieux, the company's founder, when he left following disagreements with the new head of the company. He took a position as CEO of Innogenetics, a once high-flying biotech company with a strong emphasis on vaccines and molecular diagnostics. His mission: to fix the company's infrastructure so that it could grow, refocus its resources, and beef up its distribution in the wake of a disruption which occurred when its distribution and alliance partner International Murex was acquired by Abbott Labs in 1998.

The Scientific Committee on Consumer Safety will consider available safety data for prostaglandin analogs isopropyl cloprostenate, ethyl tafluprostamide and others with known use in eyelash-growth cosmetic products in the EU. Currently, the substances are not restricted in cosmetic products.

Thermo Fisher Scientific has agreed to buy Mesa Biotech for $450m in cash and Hillrom will acquire Bardy Diagnostics for $375m in cash. Both deals will add complementary digital health solutions, which may be a continued trend in 2021.