F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

Eight new board members were also appointed MISSISSAUGA, ON , May 7, 2026 /CNW/ - Medtech Canada is very pleased to announce the appointment of Ivy Parks, President of BD-Canada, as the new Chair of its Board of Directors. Joining Ms. Parks in leading the association's strategic mandate is a distinguished group of newly elected board members, including Brigid Buckingham (GE Healthcare), André Côté (Dexcom Canada), Luz Herrera (Abbott), Ken Hughes (Microbix Biosystems Inc), Patrick Hupé (Edwards Lifesciences Inc.), Greg LeBlanc (Cook Medical Inc.), Mark Newson (Alcon Canada), and Connie Wong (Intuitive). Darran Fischer of Philips Canada becomes Chair-Elect of the association. Ivy Parks is the President of BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company) Canada. She leads the Canadian organization of approximately 400 associates working towards advancing the world of health. In her leadership role, she partners with stakeholders to improve healthcare delivery while continuing to transform the organization to better serve the needs of the evolving healthcare marketplace and ultimately impact positive patient outcomes. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Western University. "I am deeply honoured to take on the role of Board Chair at such a pivotal moment, one that needs to be defined by both innovation and access for Canadians," said Ms. Parks. "I am committed to ensuring Medtech Canada remains a strong and unified voice. I'm proud to support a sector that is advancing care, strengthening our health system, and improving lives every day." "We are thrilled to welcome Ivy Parks as our new Board Chair," said Nicole DeKort, Medtech Canada's President and CEO. "Ivy's leadership and deep industry expertise will be invaluable as we continue to advocate for a stable trade environment and ensuring that medical technologies continue to help solve the most pressing challenges facing Canadian healthcare today." "On behalf of the entire association, I also want to extend our deepest gratitude to James Brodie for his exceptional leadership and steady guidance as Board Chair since 2024," said Ms. DeKort. "James played a pivotal role in steering our sector through a period of significant policy shifts and his strong guidance helped to shape the strategic initiatives that will continue to benefit the Canadian healthcare landscape and the patients we serve for years to come." "I also want to thank our outgoing board members--Diana Gazdar of Medline Canada, Ken Spears of Boston Scientific, and Dehlia Blanchard of GE Healthcare--for their years of dedicated service," added Ms.DeKort. "Their collective expertise and unwavering commitment have been fundamental to our progress." In addition to these new appointments, Medtech Canada is pleased to recognize the following directors who are continuing their terms on the board: Robert Clifton (Medtronic Canada), Michele D'Elia (Roche Diagnostics), Darran Fischer (Philips Canada), Sherry Flanagan (Canadian Hospital Specialties LTD.), Bryan Howcroft (Southmedic Inc.), Sarah Jacklin (Stryker), Drew McCallum (Solventum), Marcey Quenneville (Coloplast), Gilles Thériault (Cardinal Health), Nicolas Vachon (Christie Innomed), Arima Ventin (AbbVie), and Secretary-Treasurer Sevket On (Siemens Healthineers). About Medtech Canada Medtech Canada is the national association representing the medical technology industry in Canada. The association advocates for achieving patient access to leading edge, innovative technology solutions that provide valuable outcomes. Medtech Canada members are committed to providing safe and innovative medical technologies that enhance the quality of patient care, improve patient access to health care, and help enable the sustainability of our health care system. The medical technology industry in Canada employs over 88,000 Canadians. SOURCE Medtech Canada

Roche will spend more than $1 billion to acquire digital pathology specialist Path AI in a move by the pharma giant to accelerate the use of artificial intelligence in diagnostic algorithms.\n Roche is set to pay out $750 million upfront to acquire digital pathology specialist Path AI in a move by the pharma giant to accelerate the use of artificial intelligence in diagnostic algorithms.The deal, which is expected to close in the second half of this year, will see Roche make an upfront payment of $750 million for PathAI, plus additional payments of up to $300 million linked to milestone achievements.Once the deal is locked in, PathAI will be merged into Roche’s Diagnostics division, the companies said in a May 7 release. The transaction will give Roche access to PathAI\'s Image Management System, or IMS, a user-friendly software interface that weds analysis and workflow capabilities within the digital pathology lab. Roche says it now intends to scale the platform \"globally.\"The Swiss pharma also figures that PathAI\'s established AI-driven solutions, including clinical trial support and translational research, will work well in tandem with Roche\'s existing companion diagnostics know-how. \"Combining these capabilities will foster the discovery of new biomarkers, potential drug targets and novel diagnostic tools, increasing the value Roche can bring to biopharma companies,\" the companies said.  The two firms first partnered in 2021 and began to ramp up their relationship in 2024 to include the development of AI-enabled companion diagnostic algorithms, they explained.“Digital pathology has the potential to improve precision diagnosis of cancer and enable physicians to offer better-tailored treatment regimens,” Matt Sause, CEO of Roche Diagnostics, said in a statement. The acquisition \"will allow us to combine their best-in-class digital pathology tools with our leading oncology diagnosis platforms to deliver better insights for physicians and potentially better outcomes for patients worldwide,\" he added. In early December, PathAI scored an FDA first when the agency qualified its artificial intelligence tool, which aids drug developers in evaluating fatty liver disease in clinical trials.The green light covered Path AI’s Histologic Measurement of NASH (AIM-NASH), a cloud-based technology from PathAI designed to assess disease activity for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatohepatitis (MASH). It was designed to help score the different stages of liver biopsy, including fat infiltration, inflammation and scarring.

Roche, in a move to deepen its artificial intelligence offerings, has announced plans to acquire PathAI in a deal worth $750 million upfront plus $300 million in milestone payments. The deal is expected to close in the second half of the year. PathAI specializes in digital pathology and AI-powered technology for pathology laboratories and the biopharma industry. The two companies are not strangers, establishing a relationship in 2021 that scaled up in 2024 to include the development of AI-enabled companion diagnostic algorithms. This acquisition strengthens Roche’s position in Digital Pathology, which is transforming extensive manual workflows into fully automated, AI-driven processes and insights. Digital pathology enables the creation of high-resolution digital images from physical tissue on slides, allowing pathologists to use AI tools to facilitate diagnostic workflows and provide patients with faster results. The acquisition also has the potential to boost Roche's competitiveness in precision medicine by enhancing its biopharma services. PathAI’s strength in AI-driven solutions, including clinical trial support and translational research, will complement Roche’s deep expertise in companion diagnostics. “Digital pathology has the potential to improve precision diagnosis of cancer and enable physicians to offer better-tailored treatment regimens,” said Matt Sause, CEO of Roche Diagnostics. “Bringing PathAI into Roche Diagnostics will allow us to combine their best-in-class digital pathology tools with our leading oncology diagnosis platforms to deliver better insights for physicians and potentially better outcomes for patients worldwide.”