Ekf Diagnostics Share Discussion Threads

[faz] 06/5/2020 14:40

hot off the press Wan. EKF is not mentioned; how do you its us?

[wan] 06/5/2020 14:33

EKF has signed an agreement with Source BioScience UK Ltd (“Source BioScience”), which provides Laboratory testing services for the NHS, to supply PrimeStore MTM, a novel patented sample collection device, to be used for its growing COVID-19
testing service.

The Company expects to ship first products from the new production line in Penarth in mid-May, if not sooner.



Source BioScience UK Ltd COVID-19 Testing Services

We are now able to provide a COVID-19 testing service from our highly accredited ISO:15189:2012 laboratories in Nottingham. It has taken us 2 weeks to source a supplier of extraction kits and RT-PCR kits that fall outside of the NHS supply chain to provide COVID-19 testing. Kits are being delivered, equipment validations are being concluded and a complete service provision is in place. We have equipment to site to be able to run up to 1,500 tests per day, with the ability to jump to 3,000 tests per day and now I can announce we are ready to talk to any company with frontline staff that they want to test to keep their businesses moving forwards and safeguard them from the virus for their important work.

SBS COVID-19 testing service relies on PCR detection of the Coronavirus genome from oropharyngeal or nasopharyngeal swabs. Swabs can be provided by the client or for an additional charge, Source BioScience can send you a swab kit and organise collection of samples using our logistics partner.

The swabs are received by our laboratory staff where receipt of the sample is recorded in our Laboratory Information System (LIMS).

The samples are handled in an appropriate safety cabinet, where they are unpacked, and the sample treated to inactivate any live virus.

This sample is then processed using an automated extraction platform to isolate any RNA from the SARS-Cov-2 virus.

A reverse-transcription, real-time PCR assay is then used to detect the presence of the viral RNA genome.

Results are recorded in LIMS for reporting to the customer.

For a preliminary discussion regarding COVID-19 testing provisions, please contact us and we will do our very best to help you make sure your staff, patients and business get back to work during these very difficult times.

More detail will follow regarding the tests we are performing.

[wan] 06/5/2020 14:22

Coronavirus: Boris Johnson aims for 200,000 tests by end of May
10 minutes ago

He said his "ambition" was to hit 200,000 tests "by the end of this month - and then go even higher".

Mr Johnson replied: "Yes, he's right that capacity currently exceeds demand, we're working on that, we're running at about 100,000 a day, but the ambition clearly is to get up to 200,000 a day by the end of this month and then to go even higher."

[like2share] 05/5/2020 11:49

Any chartists on here, to give some Technical Analysis this pending breakout. What's great is the share is supported by Fundamental Analysis IMO.

[like2share] 05/5/2020 09:57

Thanks for sharing that.

[wan] 05/5/2020 07:26

Edit - correct link added to above post!

[wan] 05/5/2020 07:19

More good news today with a three-year distribution agreement with Tosoh Europe N.V., part of Tosoh Corporation, the global chemical and specialty materials company for the distribution of the Company’s Quo-Test HbA1c Analyzer in the Middle East and
Africa.

I note the agreement has the potential to be extended into EU countries.

Given Tosoh's focus on scalable solutions predominantly in core laboratories, it is very interesting that Tosoh have identified a growing need for Point-of-Care HbA1c analysis alongside their traditional laboratory market and have identified EKF Diagnostics as an important partner to work with them.


Tosoh overview and Parent Company -

[hazl] 04/5/2020 07:45

Am looking forward to another interesting week....!

[hazl] 03/5/2020 18:52

This company has so much going for it.



'EKF Diagnostics’ Hemo Control is a point-of-care hemoglobin analyzer designed to provide quantitative, lab quality hemoglobin results from 25 seconds.

Hemo Control uses the most established photometric azide methemoglobin method ensuring reliable results with a high precision (CV <2%).

Hemo Control is used in blood banks, hospitals and doctors’ offices for routine screening for anemia. And, due to its backlit screen, a soft-load cuvette holder and integrated rechargeable battery, it is the perfect analyzer for stationary use and mobile settings.

In addition to providing hemoglobin measurement Hemo Control also calculates hematocrit.'

[hazl] 03/5/2020 18:42

7 days ago

'EKF Diagnostics Confident Of Exceeding Expectations For Full Year.....'

[wan] 03/5/2020 11:24

In March 2020 EKF launched a new FDA CLIA-waived β-ketone and glucose POC analyzer to U.S. market.

Cardiff, UK – 12th March 2020 – EKF Diagnostics, the global in vitro diagnostics company, announces a new addition to its Diabetes Care portfolio in the U.S.. The STAT-Site WB is a dual-use whole blood β-ketone and glucose meter for professional use in the management of diabetes. The new FDA CLIA-waived handheld analyzer reliably and efficiently delivers results within just 5-10 seconds, and can be used in point-of-care (POC) and Certificate of Waiver settings, such as physicians’ offices, clinics and other non-traditional laboratory locations.

Due to its FDA CLIA-waived status, the new STAT-Site WB is initially only available for sale to the U.S. market. The product is currently undergoing the CE mark process and following this, this whole blood β-ketone and glucose meter will be available for professional use in the management of diabetes globally.


Diabetic patients with abnormally high levels of βHB are at risk of developing diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). βHB is the predominant ketone body present in the blood during DKA.

EKF also have Chemistry LiquiColor® Beta-Hydroxybutyrate (B-HB) reagent for laboratory analysers. The Beta-Hydroxybutyrate reagent is used by over 1,100 hospitals in the USA and can be run on an open channel of a laboratory analyzer.

With the above in mind, I note that Diabetes UK has updated their 'coronavirus and diabetes' page, and the following excerpt has been included -

UPDATED 28 APRIL: This page is currently up-to-date, and based on the most recent guidance available. We’ll continue updating this page to share new guidance as it is released.

Coronavirus (COVID-19) and diabetes updates

How coronavirus can affect people with diabetes
Everyone with diabetes, including those with type 1, type 2 and gestational, is vulnerable to developing a severe illness if they get coronavirus, but the way it affects you can vary from person to person.

People with diabetes are particularly vulnerable to becoming seriously ill with coronavirus because the virus can cause difficulties managing your diabetes, potentially leading to DKA (diabetic ketoacidosis).

When you have diabetes, being ill can make your blood sugar go all over the place. Your body tries to fight the illness by releasing stored glucose (sugar) into your blood stream to give you energy. But your body can’t produce insulin to cope with this, so your blood sugars rise.

Your body is working overtime to fight the illness, making it harder to manage your diabetes. This means you’re more at risk of having serious blood sugar highs (DKA) and lows, as well as longer-term problems with your eyes, feet and other areas of your body.

For most people, coronavirus is a mild illness, but some people develop a more serious form of the virus, and could die.

It is important that people with diabetes follow the sick day rules should they become ill from any illness.



Diabetes UK is also taking a closer look at the research behind the news headlines about coronavirus and blood sugar levels.

[wan] 02/5/2020 10:52

Firtashia...Your are welcome, but most of it was an update (as opposed to a repeat post).

[firtashia] 02/5/2020 09:58

Wan-as a newbie here I hadn’t seen your post before, so thanks for reposting. With respect to Covid it’s the “picks and shovels” type of investment using already approved technology that I like, as opposed to the binary bet that biotech investments offer. Christopher Mills is also a very astute investor indeed. GLAH.

[wan] 02/5/2020 07:53

Update and excerpts from my previous post 41 -

"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."

The situation in terms of the proliferation of available tests has increased further, with more to follow imminently. There has also been a significant increase in testing capacity, as announced by the UK government yesterday.

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. To highlight this, some reinfections have almost certainly been due to the original test providing a false negative result (as opposed to lack of immunity), some of those false negatives results have been put down to poor samples in terms of degraded RNA and the transport and storage etc.

The PrimeStore® Molecular Transport Medium that EKF are manufacturing was designed to rapidly inactivate viruses (not just COVID-19) and stabilise the RNA and DNA to provide safer and more efficient workflow for molecular testing and sequencing. The cold chain is then not needed for the transportation from collection to the laboratory.

Importantly(and possibly overlooked by some), inactivating the virus in this way increases capacity, by allowing for testing to take place outside of containment facilities, thus opening up more testing laboratories.

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 manufacturers tests or systems e.g. Thermo Fisher, Roche, Qiagen etc. However, I note that Longhorn are being encouraged by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) by recommending that the company collaborate with diagnostic assay manufacturers to ensure that Longhorn’s PrimeStore MTM® is included as the transport device.

Thus, EKF investors have investment exposure in the underlying technology needed to produce safe accurate testing, instead of the risk of investing in any particular test and the ultimate accuracy/reliability of such tests, or even the risk of certain tests never becoming an economic reality!

COVID-19 testing is likely to be an ongoing need for several years beyond the current pandemic, and I have also read that it may become a permanent feature. Not to mention that, the current situation has brought into sharp relief that global stock piles and indeed manufacturing capacity of safe and effective sample collection devices are likely to be required for the risk of future pandemics. In other words, just in time is out, and 'just in case' will more than likely become the norm!

[wan] 02/5/2020 06:29

EKF WORKING TO HELP FIGHT AGAINST COVID-19
1st May 2020

The chief executive of EKF Diagnostics has told Insider how the healthcare manufacturing business is helping the fight against Covid-19 by supplying an NHS laboratory testing service provider with one of the "safest forms of sample collection and transportation in the world" in a move which is creating jobs.

He added: "If a batch leaks in transit or anything like that there is no chance of getting Covid. That's why it has been so popular in the US."

"We are employing our first team of ten temporary staff who may become full-time and if we want to do two runs that will rise to 20 and it will continue to grow like that."

Full story -

[davebowler] 01/5/2020 08:57

NAS has a hefty stake here , I see. North Atlantic Smaller Co.s.

[hazl] 01/5/2020 08:54

This is not just for the virus....that's what I like about this firm.
When it's all over....hopefully soon....then they have a good ongoing business here and are very diverse!



'EKF DiaSpect Tm hemoglobin analyzer supports anemia study in resource limited West Africa

The Eleanor Mann School of Nursing at the University of Arkansas, USA, took 15 nursing students on a Study Abroad Program in Bolgatanga, Ghana in summer 2018. Working at small village clinics they established that anemia is very common among women of childbearing age, sometimes leading to blood transfusions, but more commonly, death. Therefore, in addition to measuring hemoglobin (Hb) using EKF’s fully portable hand-held analyzer and confirming the prevalence of anemia, the team also provided vital nutritional education. Given the success of this program, a further 15-strong team from the University will return in summer 2019, extending their anemia studies to include the elderly who are at high risk of death from anemia.



In summer 2018, the nursing students centered Hb testing on women of child bearing age. After reading current research data on anemia in Ghana, they developed an anemia focused teaching program, providing education on the dietary importance of iron and protein. They also undertook a small research project on the women's perceptions of anemia in women and children [1]. This study concluded that it is imperative to understand the community before conducting public health initiatives to ensure that teachings are accurate and tailored to the culture and mindset of the target audience.'

[hazl] 01/5/2020 08:44

interesting resume here

'ur core focus is the Point of Care diagnostics market with over 80,000 analysers in regular use in more than 100 countries running more than 50m tests every year. The EKF range of analysers is unique in their ease of use, accuracy and portability which is why we are a trusted brand in GP surgeries, pharmacies, blood banks, sports clinics, hospitals and laboratories for the measurement of glucose, lactate, haemoglobin, hematocrit and HbA1c.'

[hazl] 01/5/2020 08:37

refreshing to see EKF covered in some of these articles for future prospects,even if we haven't access to the full report.

[hazl] 30/4/2020 10:38

Well done to those here who got in early in it's history.
Looks a very good bet to me going forward.

[hazl] 30/4/2020 07:25

..very interesting and EKF again gets a mention.