Ekf Diagnostics Share Discussion Threads

[wan] 22/12/2022 08:02

Todays RNS non-regulatory Point-of-Care update is another example of EKF executing on their growth strategy by investing into their Point of Care business to maximise distribution network and diversify existing product portfolio.

For more product detail -

Lactate Scout Vet offers precise, easy-to-use, handheld lactate test for small and large animal practices

EKF Diagnostics, a global in vitro diagnostics company, announces the launch of a new version of its Lactate Scout analyzer, designed specifically for use in veterinary settings. Lactate Scout Vet uses the same proven technology that was initially developed to provide elite sports coaches and athletes with a precise and easy-to-use handheld lactate test. The new Lactate Scout Vet features species selection for dogs, horses, pigs and cattle, making it ideal for use in both small and large animal practices.


In post 2912 I highlighted EKF's veterinary near patient testing, including Lactate testing in equine sport "given the level of money and training involved in horse racing and eventing, I could imagine that lactate testing has the potential for meaningful adoption and recurring testing volumes."

But of course, EKF's new Lactate Scout Vet has utility across a wide range of species, not to mention EKF's reputation for product quality and robustness, which means the Lactate Scout Vet also has utility beyond the veterinary lab.

[rivaldo] 20/12/2022 10:44

EKF has been bought by the Naked Trader, which may have brought in some additional interest:



"I bought some EKF Diagnostics, these were brought up at the follow up seminar.

Interesting potential here as a longer-term isa tuckaway.

It's a diagnosis business which had a great covid but post covid it could still go well.

Its life sciences business is motoring in particular. There's a nice cash pile building too.

It isn't one that's going to suddenly boom, but with some patience it could be a nice long-term hold."

[wan] 20/12/2022 07:42

Thanks Rivaldo

[wan] 20/12/2022 07:19

EKF gets a mention in an IC article based on one of my favourite topics, which I believe is an important investment theme, and being described by some experts (as previously reported) as a paradigm shift to direct-to-consumer and near-patient testing -

Diagnostics moves beyond the lab

The pandemic has shown consumers the benefits of fast and convenient medical testing. It's up to medical devices companies to take diagnostics out of the lab and into homes and communities

December 19, 2022
By Jennifer Johnson

The lab, equipped with a range of highly efficient and automated analysers, has become the natural epicentre of modern medical testing. But the Covid-19 pandemic recently highlighted the need for greater testing at the site of patient care – potentially ushering in a new, decentralised era of diagnostic medicine. Companies across the healthcare spectrum, from diversified pharma giants to small-cap start-ups, are building new testing products to serve patients who want fast answers, closer to home.

The rapid Covid-19 tests that so many people have become familiar with are an example of a practical point-of-care test that can be administered by patients themselves. Technological limits aside, the ethical implications of allowing patients to screen themselves for life-altering diseases, such as cancer, would be significant. This is why many in the diagnostics industry advocate for point-of-care tests to be administered in the company of medical professionals, who can offer advice on appropriate next steps.

“Point-of-care testing fits into a space where you still have a professional carrying out the test, but it can be done anywhere at the point of need,” said Gavin Jones, global head of product management at EKF Diagnostics (EKF), which offers both point-of-care and central lab tests. “That’s not necessarily in a hospital, or even a clinic or doctor’s surgery. It can be in the patient’s home, but carried out by a healthcare professional who has had full training on how to use the product.”

Full article, worth reading in full -

[tongosti] 19/12/2022 15:51

48 cleared. 63 next

[rivaldo] 19/12/2022 15:18

Indeed - looking good. Can't see any news (apart from wan's excellent research), so this appears to be a continuing positive turn in sentiment.

[wan] 16/12/2022 07:44

Post removed.

Apologies for my error, posted to the wrong thread (I had multiple tabs open).

[wan] 13/12/2022 11:27

I noted recently that Medsource Ozone Biomedicals, one of India's largest IVD manufacturers providing solutions to laboratories across domestic and global markets, announced India's first autoimmune diagnostics manufacturing setup in partnership with Human Diagnostics, who's broad and constantly growing portfolio of in vitro diagnostic products with Quality Made in Germany, quoting outstanding worldwide available service, support and supply capabilities and a growing culture of partnership with distribution partners in more than 160 countries -



What further caught my attention was that both entities distribute a range EKF products.

Near patient testing solutions for use at point of care. We offer some of the world's best systems for Hemoglobin and HbA1c analysis. These analyzers offer lab or better than lab quality results in a point of care setting -


If my assessment is correct, Human Diagnostics offers quite a wide range of EKF reagents, with 94 Liquicolor reagents and 26 liquiuv reagents -

Product Catalog
2022 | 2023


Another item that caught my attention was Human's point of care HbA1c offering, the HumaMeter A1c (click on the image for an expanded view) -

Which on the face of it, looks almost identical to EKF's Quo-Lab® HbA1c Analyzer, and if you run both videos the processes look identical -

But whether any of the above represents early examples of the targeted geographical expansion, or indeed another private label distribution agreement in the case of the HumaMeter, similar to the deal with McKesson Medical-Surgical Inc in the US for DiaSpect TM, which has been particularly successful, remains to be seen.

Either way, and in any regard, I look forward to EKF's usual trading update in due course.

[p1nkfish] 08/12/2022 10:58

Moral of the story is don't rely on any Gov.
Would have hoped a decent CEO would understand.
Any business relying on Gov is not one I would invest much in.
Seriously, what happened to UK PLC that they don't get it.

[srichardson8] 08/12/2022 10:33

from Monday's Times
Testing times for Britain’s diagnostic industry

[wan] 06/12/2022 16:13

EKF discussed at 32:29

Q&A with Harwood Capital CEO, Christopher Mills

[wan] 04/12/2022 06:28

Front page of the Sunday Telegraph -

Pharmacists will be drafted in to help break NHS strike action and ease winter pressures on the health service, under plans being considered by ministers.

Under a plan to ease pressure on GPs, chemists could be allowed to diagnose patients with minor conditions and prescribe antibiotics for the first time.

Pharmacists may be given powers to diagnose patients with Strep A, after an outbreak in children that has killed six.

[wan] 04/12/2022 06:08

Most will have no doubt seen the news regarding the rise in Strep A cases and the very sad news regarding recent deaths of young children.

With cases remaining higher than expected this time of the year, the UK Health Security Agency has issued a rare alert over the rise in cases -

UKHSA update on scarlet fever and invasive Group A strep

Scarlet fever is usually a mild illness, but it is highly infectious. Therefore, look out for symptoms in your child, which include a sore throat, headache, and fever, along with a fine, pinkish or red body rash with a sandpapery feel. On darker skin, the rash can be more difficult to detect visually but will have a sandpapery feel. Contact NHS 111 or your GP if you suspect your child has scarlet fever, because early treatment of scarlet fever with antibiotics is important to reduce the risk of complications such as pneumonia or a bloodstream infection. If your child has scarlet fever, keep them at home until at least 24 hours after the start of antibiotic treatment to avoid spreading the infection to others.

Scarlet fever is caused by bacteria called group A streptococci. These bacteria also cause other respiratory and skin infections such as strep throat and impetigo.

Investigations are also underway following reports of an increase in lower respiratory tract Group A strep infections in children over the past few weeks, which have caused severe illness.

Currently, there is no evidence that a new strain is circulating. The increase is most likely related to high amounts of circulating bacteria and social mixing.

Full update -

Early diagnosis enabling treatment is the most effective strategy, which EKF can help with -

QuStick™ Strep A from EKF Diagnostics provides qualitative detection of Group A Streptococcal Antigen directly from throat specimens from patients within five minutes.

QuStick Strep A is highly sensitive and has been proven to detect difficult cases that other rapid streptococcal tests may miss. Its enhanced sensitivity is because it requires fewer bacterial colonies to be present in order to provide a positive result.

QuStick is marketed in the UK, Europe and the US with options of either 25 or 50 tests -

QuStick Strep A kits from Stanbio Chemistry are CLIA waived and CE marked and have a shelf life of 20 months.


Unfortunately, respiratory illnesses are also surging in the US and Europe, with reports of medical facilities already being stretched due to the rapid rise in cases.

EKF's ADL Respiratory Pathogen Panel for the Detection of 47 Pathogens including COVID-19 and including 9 Resistant Gene Markers to Decrease the Spread of Infection, may also be in demand -


Germany faces ‘catastrophic’ paediatric bed shortage as RSV cases soar
1 Dec 2022

Rising cases of respiratory syncytial virus after pandemic leading to critical hospital pressures

Cases of RSV and other respiratory illnesses have also increased in the UK and in the US, which is also suffering from a shortages of antivirals and antibiotics.

“If the forecasts are right, then things will get significantly more acute in the coming days and week,” Sebastian Brenner, head of the paediatric intensive care unit at University hospital Dresden, told German news channel n-tv. “We see this in France, for example, and in Switzerland. If that happens, then there will be bottlenecks when it comes to treatment.”


RSV and flu surge in US ahead of holidays – what to know
3 days ago
Why are RSV and flu cases rising?
Experts say protective measures like social distancing, mask wearing and other hygiene practices from the coronavirus pandemic likely shielded some children from exposure to the flu and their first RSV infection, which most children normally experience by age two.

This means they may now be more vulnerable to infection.

An earlier RSV season followed by more severe flu infections has created a "perfect storm" that is "flooding our paediatric capacity", said Daniel Rauch, the chief of Paediatric Hospital Medicine at Tufts Medicine in Massachusetts.

He told the BBC a reduction in hospital beds for children during the coronavirus pandemic, which was intended to make space for adults who are more vulnerable to severe illness from Covid, had worsened the current problem.

Some experts said they were not optimistic the issues would resolve soon, as close contact during the winter holiday season could offer more opportunities for viral transmission.

[tongosti] 02/12/2022 12:14

Above 49 odds favour another add to original's long opening at 36

[wan] 02/12/2022 09:23

Food for thought -

At the current 20th Annual World Congress insulin Resistance Diabetes and Cardiovascular meeting Dec 01 - 03, 2022 at Universal City, California, United States of America, EKF is attending and exhibiting, Shane O'Neill Global Director, Scientific Affairs at EKF Diagnostics -


Sharp eyed readers will note that on the poster displayed behind Shane O'Neill there is a new test featuring in EKF's diabetes portfolio. Although it's partially obscured I am quite sure that it's the Glycomark 1,5-AG test.

I have taken a good look at this and the Glycomark is both FDA cleared and CE Marked and there is already an exclusive supplier of the GlycoMark® test in the U.S., Europe, Australia, the Asia-Pacific Region, the Middle East, and Mexico. So, I think that it might possibly be an early indication/example of a part of EKF's Growth Strategy e.g. one of the targeted long-term strategic partnerships/collaborations with strategic technology partners (and extends beyond the Glycomark test)-

[wan] 25/11/2022 09:52

From the Interim Results -

In Central Laboratory, we remain one of the clear market leaders for the supply of β-HB (Beta-Hydroxybutyrate), a reagent used to detect ketones for patients suffering from diabetic ketoacidosis, as well as many other clinical applications. Our β-HB reagent is used by over 1,100 hospitals in the USA. Total β-HB sales for H1 2022 were marginally impacted by temporary supply delays at period end, but these have since been resolved and sales for the 7 months to the end of July 2022 have shown a 9.9% improvement on the same period year-on-year. Glycated Albumin sales were up 138.9% with first half sales already in excess of 2021 full year performance.

In the first six months Central Laboratory was flat at £6.3m (H1 2021: £6.3m), but as described above β-HB sales have immediately caught up post period end, putting it back on track for its expected growth performance year-on-year.
(END)

Some readers may recall the following collaboration announced in October 2017 -

Diabetic ketoacidosis assay collaboration between Ortho Clinical Diagnostics and EKF Diagnostics

EKF’s Beta-Hydroxybutyrate LiquiColor® assay for detection of predominant ketone body is now available on Ortho’s VITROS® 4600 Chemistry System and VITROS® 5600 Integrated System.


Ortho is now part of Quidel and is Ranked among the world’s largest in vitro diagnostics (IVD) providers -
QuidelOrtho Corporation Unites Quidel Corporation and Ortho Clinical Diagnostics


Expansion of private label Beta-Hydroxybutyrate is part of EKF's 2021-2024 Growth Strategy.

As well as β-Hydroxybutyrate still being available on the 4600 & 5600 systems, I note that EKF's Beta-Hydroxybutyrate LiquiColor® assay is now also available on Ortho’s next generation high-volume XT 7600 Integrated System -


β-Hydroxybutyrate LiquiColor® Assay*
When seconds count in the ED, confidence is everything
Diabetic Ketoacidosis (DKA) can manifest as the first sign of diabetes for patients with type 1 and can occur in severe cases of hyperglycemia for patients with type 2 diabetes.

The ß-Hydroxybutyrate LiquiColor Assay* quantitatively measures ß-Hydroxybutyrate (BHB), the major ketone by product from the body metabolizing stored fat in the liver when glucose is not available. The buildup of ketones in the blood can be fatal if left unchecked.

The ß-Hydroxybutyrate LiquiColor Assay* is highly specific and is not susceptible to interferences for excellent performance on VITROS Systems. This lifesaving test is ready when you are.


I am quite sure that's not the only expansion initiative for EKF's ß-Hydroxybutyrate LiquiColor Assay.

[wan] 21/11/2022 09:07

The 'paradigm shift' in direct-to-consumer/near-patient testing that I have referred to several times recently, gets another mention -

1 day ago
Chris Yates
CEO of Abingdon Health Plc

Medica 2022 Just about recovered after a hectic few days (thank you AH team!!). My main takeaway: self-testing was at the top of the agenda. Lateral flow now seen as a viable alternative to a broad range of laboratory tests across all sectors: human health and well being, animal health, plant pathogen, environmental….It does feel like we’re at the start of a paradigm shift in testing.


Again repeating that the pivot to direct-to-consumer/near-patient testing, including self-collection, no doubt provides opportunity (amongst a number of others) for EKF's expanded production and kitting capabilities to offer a suite of diagnostic Contract Manufacturing solutions to third party businesses.

[wan] 17/11/2022 09:10

Link still doesn't work in a new post.

[wan] 17/11/2022 08:56

EKF veterinary near patient testing -

Using Point-of-Care diagnostics in veterinary science

EKF have written a series of guides to help veterinary professionals understand more about Point-of-Care testing (POCT) for anemia and lactate measurement.

Find out more about the different methods for testing, the symptoms and their associated conditions, and understand how POCT can help vets provide a specialised service to their clients in the treatment of household pets, agricultual animals and also horse racing.

An introduction to lactate in veterinary practice

Lactate testing in equine sport

Why test for lactate in large animals?

Applications of lactate testing in small animals

Reliable Point-of-Care lactate analysis in cattle

Hemoglobin testing in animals



Worth reading the individual links contained within the above page link.

It will be interesting to see if veterinary testing gains any meaningful traction.

EKF Diagnostics Hemo Vet Blood Analyser
From £907.90 Inc Tax

The Hemo Vet is a robust, simple and easy to use Haemoglobin and Haematocrit measurement device for veterinary medicine produced by EKF Diagnostics.

Hemo Control is used to evaluate various species and is reliable in a wide temperature range. The Hemo Vet analyser features a bi-directional interface using a public standard protocol that allows direct integration with third-party software.
Search - EKF Diagnostics Hemo Vet Blood Analyser to find the page (ADVFN doesn't allow/like any of the links!)

Given the level of money and training involved in horse racing and eventing, I could imagine that lactate testing has the potential for meaningful adoption and recurring testing volumes.

[wan] 17/11/2022 07:41

Following on from post 2908 regarding the paradigm shift in direct-to-consumer/near-patient testing, the following article further indicates the level of momentum and intent -

How Labcorp, Abbott, BD, Siemens plan to expand home testing market
Published Nov. 16, 2022

At-home tests, once considered an anomaly, became de rigueur and a boon for diagnostic companies during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Now, as COVID-19 testing rates decline from their pandemic peak, these businesses see an opportunity in direct-to-consumer testing, a market that Quest Diagnostics says could total $2 billion by 2025.

“Never before has the general population been more aware of in vitro diagnostics and the relevance of our industry than in the last two years with COVID-19,” Jenna Urquhart, head of new franchise business development for Siemens Healthineers, said in an email. “Thanks to the prevalence of rapid antigen tests, people have learned that it is possible to collect a sample, run a test, and receive results in minutes, all in the comfort of their own homes.”

Four of the largest diagnostics firms surveyed by MedTech Dive said they plan to continue offering COVID-19 testing and will add other types of at-home tests. Some companies said they see an opportunity in detecting other infectious diseases, while others expect increasing demand from patients managing chronic health conditions.

Here’s a summary of their responses:
Full article -

[wan] 14/11/2022 16:13

EKF are at Medica from today (14th - 17th November 2022) with a strong team attending/supporting -


Since the early stages of the pandemic I kept tabs on a UK company called ProtonDX, a spin-out from Imperial College London UK, as the technology and the ambition to deliver rapid, accurate, portable, and low‑cost diagnostics available worldwide caught my attention. So, apart from noting that EKF was instrumental in Proton's development (see bottom of the page in the following link - and further note they achieved CE validation), I was also interested to note that Proton DX is also attending Medica via the EKF booth -

Come see ProtonDx and Dragonfly in Dusseldorf at Medica 2022. We will be showing our CE-IVD Marked 5 in 1 Viral Respiratory Panel that identifies the presence of RSV, Flu A, Flu B, rhinovirus and COVID. We will be at the EKF booth.
Rapid, portable, extracted molecular, multiplexing, high-throughput -


Our vision
Robust ultra‑rapid, extremely precise, molecular testing for everyone at the point‑of‑;need.

Our ambition
Our ambition is to ensure tests can be conducted quickly, accurately and cost‑effectively, wherever and whenever they are needed by societies throughout the world so that all can benefit from advances in technology.


Certainty in Testing Times

Introducing Dragonfly from ProtonDx

Dragonfly is a portable testing platform that combines speed, accuracy and convenience to differentiate and diagnose pathogens. It can be used to test for a single pathogen or a number of different pathogens at the same time.

High quality DNA/RNA samples are extracted from saliva and prepared for testing with a minimum of handling providing PCR equivalent results within 30 minutes at point-of-need.

[wan] 11/11/2022 09:06

Small tweaks/edit to the above post

[wan] 11/11/2022 08:56

Staying with my previous comment within post 2903, That due to the pandemic many more consumers are now familiar with self-testing, hence there is a notable pivot, described by some experts as ‘paradigm shift’, by both large and smaller diagnostic companies to direct-to-consumer/near-patient multiplex testing which covers a broader range of pathogens (beyond just COVID-19), including testing in the doctors office, pharmacy, at-home self-testing, and self-collect samples that are then processed at the lab such as EKF's ADL Health, including EKF's ADL pathogen panel that I highlighted in post 2896.

The following article also indicates there is solid long-term intent behind the shift -

Medtech execs ‘rethink’ long-term strategies as care settings shift: Accenture report
Published Nov. 10, 2022

Dive Brief:
More than 75% of surveyed medtech executives expect expanding care settings and delivery models to “significantly re-orient their company’s long-term strategy.”

The Accenture global poll of 150 senior medtech executives found that the move from hospitals to ambulatory and at-home care will require medical device companies to “completely rethink their business approach.”

The surveyed and interviewed executives expect to transform their businesses in response to the shifts in how care is delivered. While traditional products still account for most sales, the executives see the expansion of care to new settings as part of their growth strategies. Accenture cited the use of diagnostic tests at physician’s offices or at home, rather than at large hospital labs, as an example of the changes.
Full article -

Again repeating that the near patient testing, including self-collection pivot no doubt provides opportunity (amongst a number of others) for EKF's expanded production and kitting capabilities to offer a suite of diagnostic Contract Manufacturing solutions to third party businesses.