PacBio CEO steps down as Q2 loss widens

MedTech PacBio CEO steps down as Q2 loss widens By Ayla Ellison Aug 6, 2026 10:45am DNA sequencing Earnings Pacific Biosciences PacBio has promoted an internal veteran to CEO after Christian Henry stepped down, tasking the new leader with improving sales, expanding the DNA sequencing company’s clinical reach and cutting costs. Mark Van Oene, previously PacBio’s chief operating officer, assumed the president and CEO roles on Aug. 5 and joined the company’s board.

Henry, who led PacBio for six years, will remain a director and serve as a business adviser through at least the end of 2026 to support the transition. Van Oene joined PacBio in 2021 and has helped steer the company’s operations, commercial strategy, product development and push into clinical applications. He has also led work on artificial intelligence-related product improvements and partnerships.

His promotion follows an unusual reshuffling earlier this year that appeared to give Van Oene a closer look at PacBio’s commercial engine. In January, he temporarily assumed responsibility for sales and customer support, while Henry took charge of operations and research and development. The company did not disclose why Henry was stepping down, but he expressed gratitude for his time at the helm.

“It has been an extraordinary privilege to serve as PacBio’s president and chief executive officer,” Henry said in an Aug. 5 statement, crediting the company’s team with expanding its customer base, strengthening its commercial capabilities and advancing its position in long-read sequencing. The leadership handoff comes as PacBio continues a broader reset of its business.

In its second-quarter earnings release Wednesday, PacBio said it had restructured its marketing and R&D operations, strengthened its commercial organization and taken additional steps to control costs. Related PacBio launches high-throughput carrier screening panel for reproductive health clinics PacBio’s latest financial results showed the challenges awaiting its new CEO. Second-quarter revenue slipped 2% to $39 million from $39.8 million a year earlier.

PacBio’s Q2 tally showed stronger recurring demand from existing customers but softer sales of its sequencing machines. Consumables revenue, which includes the cells, kits and reagents needed to run PacBio’s systems, rose to $20.1 million from $18.9 million. Instrument revenue fell to $12.8 million from $14.2 million in 2025's second quarter.

The company placed more of its higher-throughput Revio sequencers than it did a year earlier, but demand weakened for Vega, its smaller benchtop system. PacBio placed 20 Revio systems, up from 15, while Vega placements declined to 26 from 38. The lower instrument revenue contributed to continued financial pressure.

PacBio’s net loss widened to $44.7 million from $41.9 million, while its gross margin fell to 32% from 37%. PacBio also dropped its full-year revenue forecast to between $155 million and $165 million, down from its previous range of $165 million to $175 million. DNA sequencing Earnings Pacific Biosciences MedTech