Ekf Diagnostics Share Discussion Threads

[wan] 08/6/2023 16:19

Currently a very low PE ratio, arguably being validated by price action ;-).

I wouldn't apply the following just yet, but the average PE for diagnostic companies in the US is well over 20. EKF currently derive 60% of their revenues in the US which is likely to increase.

Food for thought and worth keeping the following points in mind (amongst others) given EKF's relationships, know how and manufacturing capabilities -

From my AGM post 3092: Artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to develop the enzymes that EKF manufacture, and includes CRISPR 9 enzyme manufacturing for use in molecular diagnostics. For context, it is considered by some experts that CRISPR-based diagnostics could reshape the field of point-of-care molecular diagnostics (Julian described a CRISPR based diagnostic as incredible (or something like that). Readers may recall that EKF highlighted in a recent presentation that molecular enzymes will be manufactured for both third party OEM, and EKF brand.
(END)

However, there are certain obstacles for its use in POC applications, including difficulties in sample processing and stability. A transport media product should be resistant to harsh conditions, be independent from cold-chain storage and handling, be easy to use with zero-to-minimal training by the end-user. Sound familiar?

Again, I would also flag the use of enzymes being used in the areas of genomics and forensics. In NGS sample and library preparation, you probably use enzymes at almost every critical step (source: Cytiva).

[tongosti] 08/6/2023 10:53

"Compelling"!

[wan] 07/6/2023 11:29

The latest EKF Diagnostics two pager from Walbrook which provides a comprehensive overview of the Group, consensus forecasts and illustrates a compelling investment case -
June 2023

[tongosti] 07/6/2023 10:56

Do you care to share any technical papers from Stephen Hawking on black holes? Ta.

[wan] 07/6/2023 09:13

I noted recently that it would appear that Procalcitonin testing has mainly taken place in Europe (and middle eastern countries), but that looks set to change given the updated guidance from the American Association for Clinical Chemistry (AACC) given the tests now more established use in the US -

The Ultimate Guide to Procalcitonin Testing
As this biomarker becomes more established in the U.S., experts weigh in on how to optimize its use for different clinical indications and patient populations.
Author: Jen A. Miller // Date: MAY.1.2023 // Source: Clinical Laboratory News

THE CHALLENGES OF PCT TESTING
Despite their global popularity, PCT tests are still relatively new in the U.S., with FDA only starting to approve them for antibiotic stewardship in 2017.

“These tests have been used for many years in Europe, but they weren’t available in the U.S.—particularly as FDA-approved or FDA-cleared assays—on the routine analyzers that most of us have in clinical laboratories,” said Allison Chambliss, PhD, DABCC, FAACC, associate clinical professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at the University of California Los Angeles David Geffen School of Medicine, and an author of the guidance.

“It really isn’t a single measurement but a monitoring over time,” said Woodworth. “We really want to help laboratories and also clinicians set up programs to establish when to measure PCT, how frequently they should measure it in what patients, and then also provide them with cutoffs in terms of concentrated PCT in the bloodstream that might predict severe disease or the need to change treatment.”

That’s why the AACC guidance also includes a section on how PCT testing should be incorporated into broader antimicrobial stewardship efforts. “The laboratory and these antibiotic stewardship clinicians, infectious disease clinicians, and pharmacists should work together so that we can present laboratory data in a way that supports the optimal use of these tests and optimal use of antibiotics,” Chambliss said.

As laboratories implement PCT assays and add this biomarker to their test menus, “it’s really important to determine how the results are going to be displayed and what kinds of interpretative comments go with the test results,” she said. “Hospitals and laboratories should develop interpretative algorithms, and many have.”

As a healthcare system introduces a PCT assay as a testing option, “rather than just validating the test and opening it up for ordering, we should make sure we’re providing effective interpretative information and that we’re involving appropriate stakeholders so that information will be seen and followed,” Chambliss added.

Full article -

EKF Diagnostics, the global in vitro diagnostics company, announces that its Stanbio Chemistry Procalcitonin (PCT) LiquiColor® assay has been FDA cleared and validated for use on Beckman AU 480, 680 and 5800 clinical chemistry analyzers. EKF is pleased to confirm the immediate availability of a user defined application (UDA) for running this 10 minute test for bacterial infection and sepsis on these Beckman AU analyzers.

PCT is a widely accepted marker for use in conjunction with other tests to quickly identify sepsis and monitor progression/severity over time. EKF’s PCT test is designed to be used on an open channel of most main brand clinical chemistry analyzers, including Roche Cobas, Abbott Architect and Hitachi systems. Therefore, the availability of the User Defined Application (UDA) on Beckman AU analyzers further increases the breadth of application of the LiquiColor PCT assay.

[wan] 05/6/2023 14:50

Edit to above post - Element Biosciences and Jumpcode Genomics Partner to Validate Jumpcode’s CRISPRclean® Technology on Element’s AVITI™ System for a Broad Set of Genomic Applications
February 24, 2022

[wan] 05/6/2023 14:34

cumnor...Well I am not going to repeat the entire trail, but post 3098 starts with: Following the CRISPR Cas9 point covered in my AGM commentary in post 3092, some readers might recall me highlighting the following in March last year (post 2609 & 2749).

Element Biosciences and Jumpcode Genomics Partner to Validate Jumpcode’s CRISPRclean® Technology on Element’s AVITI™ System for a Broad Set of Genomic Applications
February 24, 2022
(END)

So, if you are genuinely interested, you could go back through those posts and make up your own mind.

Other than that, it's suffice to say that artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to develop the enzymes that EKF manufacture at their two sites, Elkhart and South Bend, Indiana, and includes CRISPR 9 enzyme manufacturing for use in molecular diagnostics and next-generation sequencing. Readers may recall that EKF highlighted in a recent presentation that molecular enzymes will be manufactured for both third party OEM, and EKF brands.

[cumnor] 05/6/2023 13:43

Wan, good for them, but what have Element to do with EKF?

[wan] 05/6/2023 12:34

Following on from post 3098 -

30 minutes ago -

Element Enters the European Genomics Market with New Customers and a Growing Team

NEWS PROVIDED BY

Element Biosciences
05 Jun, 2023, 07:00 ET

SAN DIEGO and AMSTERDAM, June 5, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Element Biosciences, Inc., the developer of the Element AVITI™ System, an innovative DNA sequencing platform disrupting genomics, is pleased to announce that the AVITI is now available in Europe, in addition to Asia and the Middle East. VIB, Flanders' leading life science research institute in Belgium; Lexogen, a global leader in RNA sequencing; and IGA Technology Services, the leading Italian provider of genomic research services, are among the first customers who have chosen Element Biosciences' AVITI sequencing platform to support their labs.

A year after launching the AVITI System, Element has completed successful installations across the United States, Asia and now Europe. With the establishment of a European entity and a growing sales and support organization, Element can now support a wide variety of applications and research labs across the world. In addition, Element has continued to innovate on its modular platform including with faster run times, expanded kit offerings, the Elembio Cloud™ software platform, and industry-leading low costs while maintaining the highest quality sequencing on a benchtop.
Full release -

[carlosdanger] 21/5/2023 00:38

Wan: GTFOH with these posts. Bottom line (literally)- EKF Returns- 5-day: -1.96%1 month: -15.11%Year-to-date: -50.0%Since 2000 launch: -92.97%

[mpage] 19/5/2023 16:28

Wan - thanks for posting the info, much appreciated. And it didn't take me half an hour to read it either.

[smithie6] 19/5/2023 16:10

Wan

You really hope that anyone will read a post

- that is so long

- that is mostly just multiple copy & pastes

(I won't. Perhaps somewhere in that sea of text you might make a useful comment but personally I don't want to use 1/2 hour to try to find out !)

[wan] 19/5/2023 09:38

Following the CRISPR Cas9 point covered in my AGM commentary in post 3092, some readers might recall me highlighting the following in March last year (post 2609 & 2749) -

Element Biosciences and Jumpcode Genomics Partner to Validate Jumpcode’s CRISPRclean® Technology on Element’s AVITI™ System for a Broad Set of Genomic Applications
February 24, 2022

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Element Biosciences, Inc., developer of a new and disruptive DNA sequencing platform, today announced a collaboration and co-marketing partnership with Jumpcode Genomics that validates Jumpcode's CRISPRclean technology on Element’s AVITI System. The partnership has already demonstrated the value of pairing the technologies, promising improved data quality and cost savings across various genomic applications.

Jumpcode’s CRISPRclean technology harnesses the specificity of CRISPR-Cas9 to degrade abundant, uninformative sequences in next-generation sequencing (NGS) libraries. In both single cell gene expression and infectious disease detection assays, target refinement via CRISPRclean has tremendous impact on read depth, coverage and signal quality. Element’s AVITI system utilizes Avidity Sequencing™ to provide a lower error rate and higher data quality. By combining CRISPERclean and AVITI, users can focus on lower-expressing transcripts in single cell samples, effectively shifting sequencing power in a way that gains deeper coverage and improved signal. The AVITI System detected a 50% increase in genes per cell and classified additional cell types in human blood samples treated with CRISPRclean. For surveillance studies of infectious agents, CRISPRclean and AVITI offer significant benefits in sensitivity, cost and throughput. Analyzing SARS-CoV-2 infected human samples treated with CRISPRclean to remove uninformative sequences, the AVITI System detected variants and host response at a cost unrivaled by other benchtop sequencers.

“Element’s sequencing technology has demonstrated improved sequencing efficiency and more uniform data quality with Jumpcode libraries. The synergies between our technologies generate more targeted data per run, lowered overall costs per sample, with consistently high data quality,” said Shawn Levy, Senior Vice President of Applications and Scientific Affairs at Element Biosciences. “Jumpcode’s capabilities enhance sensitivity and improve resolution for several applications.”

“At Jumpcode, we’re empowering scientists to drive innovation in genomic research and diagnostics,” said Yaron Hakak, CEO of Jumpcode Genomics. “There have been many challenges in realizing the full potential of NGS for basic research, infectious disease, oncology and consumer genomics – including unwanted sequences that can mask important genomic information. We’re proud to collaborate with Element Biosciences to help those studying genomics cut through the noise.”
Full release -

A few recent announcements provides further food for thought -

Element Signs Multiple Global Distributors to Bring the Power of AVITI™ to Customers Around the World

Element Biosciences
Apr 19, 2023

"We have received strong interest in AVITI from many global markets, and we are excited to partner with these experienced distributors across the world to bring AVITI to more customers," said Mark Aitkenhead, PhD, Chief Commercial Officer of Element Biosciences. "Our goal is to expand access to the highest quality, most cost-effective sequencing and empower customers everywhere to achieve breakthrough science."
Full release -

New Research Demonstrates Potential of Jumpcode Genomics Depletion Technology to Improve Pandemic Response
May 1, 2023

SAN DIEGO, Calif. – May 1, 2023 – Jumpcode Genomics, a genome technology platform company focused on improving the understanding of human biology, together with the Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen), part of City of Hope, today announced the results of a new study demonstrating the potential of Jumpcode Genomics depletion technology for improving future large-scale infectious disease testing and pandemic response. The results were published in the journal Cell Reports Methods in an article titled, “A CRISPR-enhanced metagenomic NGS test to improve pandemic preparedness.”

“The massive loss of life due to COVID-19 exposed how underprepared governments and public health institutions are for large-scale pandemics. COVID-19 is likely not the last pandemic we will face and national and international pandemic preparedness plans are essential to ensure the health and wellbeing of people across the globe and prevent another tragedy of this scale,” said Jon Armstrong, lead author and Vice President, Research & Development at Jumpcode Genomics. “These new findings demonstrate the potential for Jumpcode’s depletion technology to provide highly sensitive, pathogen-agnostic next-generation sequencing (NGS) deployable at “Day Zero” to combat any future pathogen outbreak before it progresses to a pandemic.”
Full release -

Element Biosciences Accelerates Data Discoveries with Amazon Omics

Element Biosciences
15 May, 2023,

SAN DIEGO, May 15, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Element Biosciences, Inc.— developer of the Element AVITI™ System, an innovative DNA sequencing platform that is disrupting the genomics industry — announced it is now leveraging a new Amazon Omics feature, Ready2Run workflows, to provide simple, powerful, and cost-effective analysis workflows. The combination of technologies gives customers the option to stream their sequencing data from AVITI™ directly to the cloud and automatically perform subsequent analysis using Amazon Omics.

Amazon Omics is a service from Amazon Web Services (AWS) that helps remove the heavy lifting from storing, querying, and analyzing various omics data. Ready2Run workflows are a set of pre-built workflows from third-party software companies and open-source pipelines. With just a few clicks or a single API call, customers can run pre-built workflows to perform analyses such as converting base calls to FASTQ files, secondary analysis such as gene expression or variant calling, and tertiary analysis such as protein structure prediction. Ready2Run workflows are priced-per-run to give customers predictable and transparent pricing.

"It was quick and easy to launch the Bases2Fastq Ready2Run workflow. We are excited to use this solution to streamline our pipelines and significantly shorten the time (and effort) between our data coming off AVITI and entering secondary analysis," said Claire Seibold, Director of Software and Data Analytics at FYR Diagnostics.

Full release -

[wan] 19/5/2023 08:30

Quite a lot of reactions on Linkedin in support of EKF's fermentation development(above). Including the following -

Mark Warner
Co-Founder and CEO at Liberation Labs
16h ago

Great news for everyone scaling up precision fermentation processes in the U.S. and frustrated by the current lack of scale-up options above 5,000 liters. EKF’s 15,000 liter unit coming online later this year will be a great scaling platform for our Richmond, Indiana facility and can be commercial scale for certain products. I was able to visit EKF’s Indiana sites recently and was impressed by both the equipment and teams experience. Two thumbs up

Mike Salter
CEO Americas at EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc
15h ago
Really appreciate your comments Mark. Look forward to further collaboration.

[wan] 18/5/2023 15:34

On track, plus click photos at the bottom of the page -

1 hour ago -

We are thrilled to announce that our state-of-the-art Life Sciences Precision Fermentation facility at South Bend, Indiana, USA, is getting ready to go live later this year! 🎉

Check out these exclusive behind-the-scenes photos showcasing the progress at our new facility that will deliver enzyme fermentation and bioprocessing services with global distribution:

📸 Photo 1: Our impressive 14,500L fermenter at ABEC's facility, currently undergoing factory acceptance testing (FAT).
(Pictured from left to right: Robert Bator, Danny Thomas, Jordan Burgess, and Cesar O. Lora from EKF Life Sciences. 👥)

📸 Photo 2: The 3,000L fermenter at South Bend, undergoing IQ/OQ with the team from Eppendorf Group.
(Pictured from left to right: John Eddington, Jeron Hodges, Holly Olmstead, Brad Stasny from Eppendorf, and Mike Salter, Michelle Glass, Rebecca Geister, Sue Devereaux, and Pritesh Sha. 👥)

We can't wait to see these cutting-edge fermenters in action, producing innovative solutions for the Diagnostic, Industrial and Food sectors, and driving advancements in the field of Life Sciences. 🚀

Our new facility will support and enhance our existing site at Elkhart, Indiana, USA, where we have been delivering scale-up, process development, and large-scale fermentation since 1983!

[tongosti] 18/5/2023 08:43

Listen to what the market is saying gents. Equities are having a blast and a major breakout took place in NY trading hours. Yet this keeps going lower. Relative strength is usually a good tell.

[wan] 18/5/2023 08:25

Small edit to post 3092

[wan] 18/5/2023 08:16

As promised, a few snippets of information from quickly taken notes during the AGM (albeit that audible transmission during the meeting was not always perfect). I may add more detail if I have missed anything amongst my scrawled notes! -

Russia: Accessing the dividend being held in Russia is still problematic. However, EKF are still selling diagnostics to Russia (essential medical diagnostics are allowed), but at significantly increased prices with upfront payment, resulting in the amount of cash under restriction not growing. EKF are routinely taking legal advice as the situation re sanctions is constantly changing.

Veterinary lactate testing is currently a small percentage of sales, but there is real utility and demand, and therefore sales will likely increase over time. EKF now has in-house veterinary expertise/sales capabilities to address the opportunity (previously not in place).

Artificial intelligence (AI) is being used to develop the enzymes that EKF manufacture, and includes CRISPR 9 enzyme manufacturing for use in molecular diagnostics. For context, it is considered by some experts that CRISPR-based diagnostics could reshape the field of point-of-care molecular diagnostics (Julian described a CRISPR based diagnostic as incredible (or something like that). Readers may recall that EKF highlighted in a recent presentation that molecular enzymes will be manufactured for both third party OEM, and EKF brand.

AI optimises the fermentation process ultimately unlocking even more potential from precision fermentation and creating refined, differentiated products across a range of markets, including pharmaceutical, diagnostics, food, and food production.

A range of large companies are set to utilise in EKF's fermentation capabilities and capacity, for example EKF are involved in producing biological enzymes for use in agriculture.

EKF's Elkhart fermentation facility will serve as an important R&D hub ahead of advancing projects to scaled-up production.

Julian Baines, in describing the level of demand for EKF's enhanced fermentation offering, said that 'he had never seen this level of enquiries in my career', and further stated that 2024 is looking to be very successful with the investment in fermentation capacity and capabilities offering shareholders the biggest growth opportunity in 10 years.

The COVID pandemic has changed our relationship and familiarity with at-home testing. Point of care testing in the UK got a mention during the AGM, in terms of the potential from testing at home and at pharmacies. See today's news below from MyHealthChecked (an EKF customer).

[wan] 17/5/2023 16:26

James...Yes indeed, and that was another question that I asked and which did get interesting answers/feedback, which I believe was held back by confidentiality restrictions etc.

As I said, I will cover some of the details later.

[james188] 17/5/2023 16:11

There may be some confidentiality restrictions, but the lack of specific details is frustrating. I hope that the company will address that soon.

[wan] 17/5/2023 15:31

I should have added that talking to LL, is in addition to significant fermentation contracts with some 'very' large companies.

[mpage] 17/5/2023 13:44

@ wan - thanks for the agm update.

[wan] 17/5/2023 13:39

A very informative Q&A after the AGM meeting today.

Briefly, and in response to Sharw in post 3082 regarding my post 3081 and Liberation Labs.

In response to one of my questions (not directly about Liberation Labs), Julian Baines (JB) said they were in discussion with Liberation Labs (LL) who are looking to build out fermentation to the 100,000 litre scale. However, like EKF's 14,500 litre vessels, you start with the smaller vessels and then scale to their 14,500 litre vessels. In short, JB said that EKF is talking with LL with a view to working with them to provide the smaller volumes e.g. 14,500 litres ahead of LL scaling up to much larger volumes.

I will cover more aspects later.