Ekf Diagnostics Share Discussion Threads

[wan] 22/4/2020 08:29

EKF recently reported a contract manufacturing opportunity with Longhorn Vaccines and Diagnostics, USA, for specimen collection tubes for COVID-19 testing – initial orders c. $1m and expected to grow significantly.

I have been following events in terms of the rapid increase in available and pending tests for Covid-19. There are two types of coronavirus test, an antibody test detects if a person has had coronavirus, and antigen test detects if a person has coronavirus

Many different diagnostic manufacturers have either developed a test or have tests in development that are imminent in terms of market entry.

Testing requires optimised components at every stage, beginning at sample collection. So safe and effective sample collection will be as important as the test itself. An interesting aspect is that the sample collection is not usually specific to a particular manufacturer, therefore giving exposure to a wide rage of available manufacturer tests.

To my mind this gives EKF investors investment exposure in the underlying technology needed to produce accurate testing instead of the risk of investing in any particular test (and the ultimate accuracy/reliability of such tests).

Testing is likely to be an ongoing need for several years beyond the current pandemic.

The following exemplifies the proliferation of current and pending tests and the potential opportunity -

As COVID-19 antibody tests proliferate, analysts see market worth billions for Abbott, Roche and others

AUTHOR
Susan Kelly
PUBLISHED
April 21, 2020

The American Clinical Laboratory Association is urging the federal government to take the lead in scaling up and financing widespread SARS CoV-2 serologic testing. Providing the tests to roughly 70 million Americans, including frontline health workers, non-healthcare workers, college students and military service members would cost at least $25 billion, the association said.

Full story -

[wan] 17/4/2020 09:21

As a follow-up to my post 36 -

Press release

Industry responds to call to arms to build British diagnostics industry at scale
Pharmaceutical giants and diagnostic companies join forces on plans to roll out millions of coronavirus (COVID-19) tests.

Published 8 April 2020

The fifth pillar is the most ambitious. We want to build, in a short space of time, the large-scale diagnostics industry that this country currently lacks. Just as our top-end manufacturers have joined the national effort to build ventilators, so our life sciences companies will do the same for testing. UK pharmaceutical giants, which don’t have a tradition of diagnostics, are now working with our world-leading but smaller diagnostics companies to build a large-scale British diagnostics industry at scale. This new national effort for testing will ensure we can get tests for everyone who needs them.

full release -

[faz] 07/4/2020 08:35

My buy is not showing up- decent figures, as reported in the trading update, so Ive added to my position

[5oletrader] 04/4/2020 07:31

Indeed! From the Horses Mouth:... EKF has moved into a phase where we are confident that we can provide an income for shareholders and the prospect of significant upside from our relationships with MSIP and others ...... We see significant opportunities globally, particularly within the USA. Being a medical device company focussing on tests monitoring diabetes and haemoglobin, both conditions putting patients in higher risk categories for contracting COVID-19 ...

[9degrees] 03/4/2020 09:22

Thanks Wan as ever your thoughts and research would appear to be spot

[wan] 03/4/2020 08:48

Anyone else sensing opportunity based on what the government said yesterday regarding building a new British diagnostic industry?

The corona-virus pandemic has exposed not just our vulnerability, but the vulnerabilities of every country. In our case the UK is too dependent on a globalised diagnostic and clinical network. As far as the UK is concerned we need to be able to secure our access to vital diagnostic reagents and kits and if we can’t, we need some way of manufacturing them ourselves from scratch very quickly.

UK diagnostic companies with at least some UK footprint appear well placed, not to mention the larger UK non-diagnostic players (e.g. pharmaceutical) are being encouraged to get actively involved in the space.

Repeating what I said in an earlier post "The coronavirus highlights an important fact, that medical care is not complete without effective diagnostics.....diagnostics are crucial!"

So, in any regard, diagnostics will come to the fore in terms of priority.

[wan] 24/3/2020 08:40

Amongst other things, I was interested to learn that EKF have a contract with Roche for acetaminophen and salicylate and which is delivering strong performance, presumably it's for paracetamol and aspirin type drugs for the relief of aches pains and to reduce fever etc.

[wan] 24/3/2020 08:01

Trading Update Presentation -

[solooiler] 24/3/2020 07:39

That 1.47p forecast was the mix of two analysts who updated just a couple of weeks ago and who already had that accounted for

[wan] 24/3/2020 07:35

Solooiler....The Renaltix spin out last year!

[wan] 24/3/2020 07:32

Under the circumstances I will rein in my compliments....and say we have a very solid and very encouraging update from EKF today. With production scale up for COVID-19 test component demand also standing out, which not only highlights EKF's attributes and revenue diversification, but also raising further, EKF's ESG investing credentials and investment attraction, not to mention income generation for shareholders.

[solooiler] 24/3/2020 07:25

Adjusted eps was forecast to be 1.47p and they've done 1.2p for last year?

Anyone know what's going on as to why miss was quite big

[wan] 20/3/2020 08:17

Added quite a few yesterday at what I hope was a bargain....time will tell though and I am in for the long term anyway!

That aside, EKF's recent news flow provides for, at the very least, some very encouraging news -

EKF launches FDA CLIA-waived β-ketone and glucose POC analyzer to U.S. market

[wan] 21/2/2020 09:46

EKF's Life Science division manufacture enzymes used in clinical diagnostic reagents, and undertake OEM reagent production which is sold commercially for reagent production by third party clinical diagnostic companies. Thus, I have been wondering whether the huge efforts currently underway by Labs to produce new coronavirus diagnostics, has resulted in increased enquiries and demand?

Not to mention that EKF's Life Science division had already been experiencing increase demand and subsequently recently completed an expansion of their facilities.

The coronavirus highlights an important fact, that medical care is not complete without effective diagnostics.....diagnostics are crucial!

The following article not only highlights the resulting scramble to develop and make available at scale coronavirus diagnostics, but it also highlights the importance of diagnostics, along with a renewed emphasis on diagnostics in primary healthcare for which AI, digital health, point-of-care platforms will play an increasingly important role.


Feb 19, 2020
Let’s Worry About Diagnostic Capacity, Not Just During Outbreaks

Outbreaks and emergencies have a way of exposing weaknesses in health systems and governance. Predictably, the COVID-19 outbreak has forced countries, laboratories and companies to scramble for rapid testing options. Quality of existing kits have come under scrutiny. There is unanimous agreement that early detection is critical for controlling this new pandemic.

Alliances like GAVI have made a big difference in ensuring access to quality vaccine in even the remotest areas. Why can we not dream of something similar for diagnostics? With the rapid growth of the WHO Essential Diagnostics List, development of national EDLs by countries, renewed emphasis on primary healthcare and UHC, and exciting technological innovations (e.g. AI, digital health, point-of-care platforms), there is great opportunity to galvanize all key stakeholders to come together to solve the age-old diagnostic gap in global health.

While proposals for such a diagnostic alliance have been made in the past, little progress has been made, until now. Earlier this month, WHO and the Foundation for Innovative New Diagnostics (FIND) executed a memorandum of understanding to a strategic collaboration that will strengthen diagnosis in resource-poor countries by closing major diagnostic gaps at country level and bolstering disease surveillance that will inform public health initiatives and enhance outbreak preparedness. Hopefully, such efforts will inspire a country-led diagnostics alliance.
Full story -

[the shuffle man] 19/2/2020 15:10

Massive volume what's going on

[wan] 19/2/2020 11:29

Again, very large volume of trades duly noted (and before midday)

[wan] 06/2/2020 15:29

I note the significant jump in volumes today!

[wan] 29/1/2020 07:49

It's interesting and encouraging to make comparison with the November Trading Update.

Excerpt from the November 2019 Trading Update -

As at 31 October 2019 and as adjusted for the payments under the Incentive as though they had been made at month end, the Company had net cash of approximately GBP10.8 million and held the same marketable securities at approximately GBP3.9 million at fair value. The market value of the RENX securities as at 31 October 2019 was approximately GBP6.8 million. The Company therefore remains very well capitalised to execute its plans and continues to generate strong operating and net cashflows.


Today's Trading Update -
The Company confirms that revenues and adjusted EBITDA(1) for the year ended 31 December 2019 are in line with market expectations, which have already been upgraded following previous trading updates, as announced on 6 November 2019. Cash generation during the period was strong, with net cash at year-end of GBP11.4m, after the payment of performance bonuses (31 December 2018: net cash GBP9.4m).

Renalytix AI plc (AIM: RENX), the spin out from EKF which floated in November 2018, has continued to perform well. As at 31 December 2019, EKF held marketable securities (2,677,981 RENX shares) at approximately GBP9.17m at fair value (compared to book value at cost of investment of GBP3.24m).
(END)

If we factor in the performance bonuses, which were a total of £2.7m, EKF's cash generation was very strong. And it is pleasing that the Board is confident that EKF's progress will continue into 2020.

Separately, there has been a notable uplift from the Renalytix holding.

[pugugly] 29/1/2020 07:19

Steady as it goes
"The Company confirms that revenues and adjusted EBITDA1 for the year ended 31 December 2019 are in line with market expectations, which have already been upgraded following previous trading updates, as announced on 6 November 2019. Cash generation during the period was strong, with net cash at year-end of £11.4m, after the payment of performance bonuses (31 December 2018: net cash £9.4m)."

[wan] 28/1/2020 07:49

An interesting article from EKF -

Supporting reduction of anemia in developing regions in South America

The health workers using the Hemo Control highlighted its reliable use in extreme weather conditions; for example, in Peru there are approximately 8,600 of these point-of-care analyzers in action.

[wan] 24/12/2019 11:39

Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year to all!

[9degrees] 03/12/2019 10:01

thanks wan great research as ever. Carclo seems to be disappearing under the waves doesn't it . How sad is that story!

[wan] 03/12/2019 08:16

Excerpt from the Half-Year Results -

"We are experiencing significant growth opportunities in our enzyme facility in Elkhart, USA, which is now at full capacity. EKF has signed a lease on a second site close to our existing facility so we can fulfil the exciting opportunities we have with new customers such as Oragenics, iGenomics, Ixcela and Vitacyte. First revenues from the new facility are expected before the end of this year."
(END)

I note the following news from Oragenics, Inc -

Oragenics, Inc. Announces Completion of Enrollment of Its Phase 2 Clinical Trial for AG013 in Oral Mucositis

December 02, 2019

[wan] 03/12/2019 08:16

Double post/glitch!

[wan] 16/11/2019 07:38

Interesting company promotion -

Nov 15 2019
EKF Diagnostics Life Science Capabilities