Ekf Diagnostics Share Discussion Threads

[bones] 20/8/2020 12:58

Wan, thanks. Whilst I expect flu to be much less an issue this year, the need for testing because of the need to know what disease is being presented by the patient will not diminish. It all lines up well for EKF’s business.

[wan] 20/8/2020 11:44

Bones....A combination of the economy being opened up, offices reopening etc, and kids going back to school as we enter the flu season, will inevitably result in increased infection rates (corronavirus and flu). So, with patients presenting with symptoms that could be either flu or coronavirus, testing will become increasingly important in order to differentiate.

[crazycoops] 20/8/2020 11:39

Ah, thanks rivaldo - my bad. It is not the reason I invested here and I don't keep track of the Renalytix share price. Your numbers are more sound, thanks and apologies for any false hope that I might have created. Brokers eh!

[wan] 20/8/2020 11:34

Thanks Crazycoops/Rivaldo

[bones] 20/8/2020 11:34

Genuine question from a holder. I hear lots of talk of the flu season, but given the population has isolated like never before, how will the flu virus gain traction like it has done in previous years when no-one self-isolated, social distanced, etc? I would be amazed if many people catch the flu at all this year!

[rivaldo] 20/8/2020 11:33

Crazycoops, I suspect the decimal point is in the wrong place and Singer have made a boo-boo :o))

EKF have 2,677,981 shares in Renalytix, which at 545p are worth around £14.6m. So it's more like 2.79p per share....very successful of course, but still....

Worth noting for future ref that EKF have 31.1% of Trellus, EKF's management have 5.5% and Mt Sinai and founders/management the balance.

[crazycoops] 20/8/2020 11:17

A snippet from the N+1 Singer update today - "We estimate the spin out and retained shareholding in Renalytix to be worth a total of 27.9p/EKF share at current levels, delivering a substantial return on investment for EKF shareholders."Surely there will be significant upgrades post interims!

[hastings] 20/8/2020 10:34

Great posts Wan as usual.Very good news this morning and I believe the shares are a great long term bet along with significant if not considerable near/medium term attraction.

[wan] 20/8/2020 10:11

Multidisciplinary Connected Care Platform for Complex Chronic Conditions, Starting with IBD

[retirementfund] 20/8/2020 09:42

Great posts as always Wan the scope for the testing kits is not remotely being given the credit it deserves, market perception is we get a one off windfall re Covid 19 reality is we have a long term multi purpose testing kit which will generate huge revenue for years.

Today's news is very significant the size and scale of this market is staggering I assume the market is taking time to wake up to the significance. In my humble opinion

[wan] 20/8/2020 09:11

With today's announcement taking precedence, I hope readers took the time to read the EKF link I provided earlier this morning. A point possibly worthy of particular note and is a particular point that EKF and CEO, Julian Baines, has recently started to make -

Combined COVID-19 and flu testing
It’s clear that a strong testing programme is needed ready for flu season and a potential second wave of COVID-19 – as thousands of people are going to start presenting with symptoms that could be flu or coronavirus.

As multiple infectious disease tests can be processed from one sample swab, this makes PrimeStore MTM ideal for the approaching flu season. This is because samples collected and stored in MTM can be tested for both COVID-19 and influenza from a single swab sample that has been inactivated and stabilised. This, in addition to the fact that refrigerated transport and storage is not required, can assist with disease differentiation at reduced costs when compared to standard collection kits.


I note that LAMP assays are in development for the detection of multiple respiratory pathogens in a single assay, in preparation for the flu season and the need to test samples that may also contain influenza or other respiratory viruses.

[wan] 20/8/2020 07:49

Without wanting to jump the gun so to speak, what is also piquing my interest is the fact that Trellus Health is a digital health platform, and "The first chronic condition that Trellus Health will address is IBD"

I already know from previous research that the IBD opportunity is very large and has attracted large player interest. And I will repeat what I have already stated -

EKF's (and Renalytix) relationship and agreement with Mount Sinai, which provides EKF with advanced access to data and innovative commercial opportunities arising from Mount Sinai Health System owned technologies managed by MSIP in the field of digital diagnostics is offering excellent opportunity, benefiting 'all' stakeholders!

[wan] 20/8/2020 07:29

Today's announcement is further confirmation of a management team delivering on the commentary, and in the fullness of time (not too long) delivering increased shareholder value.

Is EKF the new Goldilocks stock? In terms of yield, not too much yield nor too little, but providing good rates of growth and increasing shareholder value.

[rivaldo] 20/8/2020 07:25

Good news - I love the fact that shareholders get to participate directly in the best of new American med-tech via Moun Sinai and in-specie distributions of shares which get floated off as separate vehicles onto AIM etc.

I assume this is too small for NASDAQ at this stage? Which is a shame as the valuation would presumably be that much higher.

[cravencottage] 20/8/2020 07:23

So we'll all be eligible for some free shares in Trellus Health at some stage in 2021.

More details to follow from Julian at Results no doubt.

CC

[epicsurf] 20/8/2020 07:04

 

EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc (AIM: EKF), the AIM listed point-of-care business, has made a US$5 million investment into Trellus Health Limited ("Trellus Health"), a resilience-driven digital health solution for complex chronic conditions. The investment will be used to support the newly incorporated company's work to transform the way chronic conditions are treated, with an initial focus on Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), including Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.

 

As previously announced, EKF and Mount Sinai Innovations Partners entered into a relationship to identify technologies to advance a novel digital health platform for early intervention and better care management for patients with IBD, resulting in the formation of and investment into Trellus Health.  

 

The financing was led by EKF in partnership with Mount Sinai Health System ("MSHS"). EKF believes that the Trellus Health digital health platform will provide substantial value for patients and providers, and has the potential to provide attractive returns to shareholders. It is the Trellus Health investors' intention, in the future, to conduct initial market soundings to determine the feasibility and timing of an initial public offering (IPO), and the potential admission to trading on the AIM Market of the London Stock Exchange (AIM) for Trellus Health. If an IPO was to take place the expectation would be for this to take place in early 2021. EKF expects to distribute its holding in Trellus Health to its shareholders by way of a distribution in specie as soon as is practicable. Further announcements will be made, as appropriate.

 

Trellus Health has also entered into an exclusive multi-year licence with MSHS to commercialise its patent pending GRITT-IBDTM resilience assessment and personalised treatment methodology. Better evaluation and personalised management of IBD patients, including the implementation of appropriate care delivery pathways in a more timely manner than current practice allows, is expected to deliver better healthcare outcomes (including quality of life and fewer hospitalisations) and on a more cost-effective basis than current approaches.

 

Ninety percent of the United States' $3.3 trillion annual health care expenditure is for chronic diseases, with patients suffering from both chronic medical and mental health conditions costing twice as much, according to CDC1. The first chronic condition that Trellus Health will address is IBD, one of the costliest chronic conditions with a high associated mental health burden, affecting three million patients in the U.S2, (7 million globally) and costing the U.S. healthcare system over $30 billion a year, according to The Cost of Inflammatory Bowel Disease: An Initiative From the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation 20193. 

 

Erik Lium, President, Mount Sinai Innovation Partners, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Innovation Officer at Mount Sinai, and board member of Trellus Health stated: "Crohn's disease was discovered at Mount Sinai by Dr. Burrill Crohn nearly 100 years ago, and the Mount Sinai Health System has made great strides in enhancing the standard of care and outcomes for our patients. We're pleased to partner with Trellus Health and EKF to advance commercial development of a resilience-driven approach and connected care model for treating IBD and other complex chronic conditions, making Mount Sinai's technology available to more patients."

 

Resilience-driven care incorporates positive psychology principles into all aspects of chronic disease management, with a focus on building acceptance, optimism, self-regulation, self-efficacy, and social support. Proven health benefits of resilience include increased longevity, cardiovascular, immune and cognitive function, as well as physical well-being and reduced risk for depression and anxiety.

 

In a recent study published by Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) Journal4, findings demonstrated that high levels of resilience are independently associated with lower disease activity and better quality of life in patients with IBD. The study also suggested that resilience may be a modifiable factor that can risk-stratify IBD patients to identify those prone to poorer outcomes. Investigators of the study included Trellus Health co-founders Marla C. Dubinsky, MD, Professor of Pediatrics and Medicine, Chief of Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, co-director of the Susan and Leonard Feinstein IBD Clinical Center at Mount Sinai, and board member of Trellus Health, and Laurie Keefer, PhD, Director for Psychobehavioral Research in Mount Sinai's Gastroenterology Division. Drs. Dubinsky and Keefer have more than 40 years of combined experience managing IBD patients utilizing a personalized, patient-centric approach that focuses on building resilience in people living with IBD.

 

Julian Baines, CEO of EKF Diagnostics, said: "EKF is very excited to support the commercial advancement of Trellus Health, alongside Mount Sinai. This is another example of our combined support for a pioneering medical approach that can make a huge difference to the well-being of people with complex chronic health conditions, as well as driving much needed healthcare economic benefits. IBD is one of the most costly and complex incurable diseases and Trellus Health's digital health platform has already been used within Mount Sinai to show how this approach can reduce unplanned hospital interventions."

 

Monique Fayad, CEO of Trellus Health, said: "We are transforming the way complex chronic conditions are treated by developing a resilience-driven connected care platform that integrates precision medicine with psychosocial care. The traditional journey of medical care for people living with chronic conditions typically results in repeated costly, unplanned emergency room visits and hospitalizations, high rates of work absenteeism and lost productivity, as well as chronic disability and behavioural health issues. We're working to change this by focusing on building patients' resilience while integrating all partners in care, including employers, insurance plans, health systems, Trellus-certified GI providers, nurses, psychologists, and dieticians who will utilize Trellus Health's proprietary cloud-based technology platform to effectively monitor and communicate with patients and their caregivers in real time."

[wan] 20/8/2020 06:31

An excellent write up by EKF of the differences and advantages of PrimeStore MTM -

News and Events
19th August 2020
What is the difference between standard Viral and Molecular Transport Media?

[shutittrev] 19/8/2020 18:11

I think wan mentioned that there is/was a persistent seller. Has the seller cleared yet? (Thanks to the very informative contributors on this thread and also Hastings who put me on to EKF). Good luck all.

[cravencottage] 19/8/2020 17:50

So somebody picks up a tad under 15k's worth of stock at 57p

That's a high price in context of today's trades.

re-rating set to continue me thinks.

[wan] 19/8/2020 17:36

I have been quietly watching.

I also noted that there has been a number of large trades going through the last few days.

[hastings] 19/8/2020 17:28

News today of the ramping up of tests, not merely here but elsewhere should see the penny drop!Testing isn't going to stop anytime soon and it's part of the process of moving forward and likely to remain, even when hopefully things return to something much calmer.

[saucepan] 19/8/2020 17:06

Interesting closing auction. I am surprised no comment.

[epicsurf] 15/8/2020 13:04

Have added again on Friday,the reaction
In the share price following the 3 million initial contract win and ekf statement on revising guidance upwards again gives me confidence that further
orders will happen before year end and hopefully will have the same share reaction

[wan] 15/8/2020 09:20

Most readers are now familiar with the attributes of EKF's PrimStore MTM, which allow pathogenic samples to be collected, transported, and processed safely and efficiently for optimised testing.

The attributes of PrimeStore are particularly well suited to the predominant form of testing for COVID-19 which is molecular testing -

As of August 13, the U.S. FDA has authorised 211 coronavirus diagnostic tests under EUAs, which include 174 molecular tests, 37 antibody tests, and 2 antigen tests. So, Molecular/PCR remains the predominant form of testing, it's the gold standard and will continue to form a core element to global testing regimes. But PCR testing has it limitations in terms of turnaround times and has suffered from supply chain issues due to the huge demand.

Food for thought -

As previously highlighted, there is a PCR alternative known as loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) which could alleviate the pressures on the current PCR capacity and supply chain issues. If my assessment is anywhere near correct, I think we are about to see a marked increase in the number of authorised rapid COVID-19 tests, some (possibly predominantly) will be based on modified LAMP assays that use saliva (or a nasal swab) as the sample.

Which brings me back to the attributes of PrimeStore, and if my assessments are anywhere near correct, PrimeStore may be particularly suited to, or perhaps an 'enabler', for rapid and accurate testing via modified LAMP tests, bringing testing closer to the risk setting/closer to the patient setting.

Despite the ease of sampling, saliva is not without it's challenges, as saliva contains enzymes that chew up nucleic acids and also contains inhibitors that interfere with the DNA amplification process used to detect the virus. However, PrimeStore MTM destroys enzymes and nucleases, but preserves and stabilises DNA and RNA.

And to put some science behind the theory that PrimeStore MTM may be well suited, or indeed be an enabler for rapid and accurate detection -

In the US a development of a highly sensitive RT-LAMP assay compatible with current reagents, that utilises a colorimetric readout in as little as 30 minutes, PrimeStore MTM was actually used, and compared to the other viral collection media, PrimeStore required no inactivation process and used less reagents -

Sample Purification with Commercial Collection Media
Viral RNA was spiked directly into clean samples of Quest Diagnostics VCM or PrimeStore MTM. For VCM samples (750 µl), 1/100th volume of 100x inactivation reagent, described above, was added and samples were heated at 95C for five minutes and cooled. VCM samples were then spun at 10,000 xg in a centrifuge for 15 seconds to pellet the gelatin at the bottom of the tube, and the cleared supernatant was transferred to a fresh tube (2/3 the original sample volume, 500 µl). ½ of this cleared supernatant volume of the NaI binding solution, with an additional 12.5 mM HCl, was then added, along with 5 µl of glass milk. Purification was then performed with a centrifuge as described above. For samples in PrimeStore MTM, no inactivation was performed. ½ sample volume of the NaI binding solution and 5 µl of glass milk was added and purification was then performed with a centrifuge as described above.
(Not peer reviewed END)

And in another development, from the highly respected journal, PLOS One -

Rapid detection of novel coronavirus/Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) by reverse transcription-loop-mediated isothermal amplification
Laura E. Lamb ,Sarah N. Bartolone,Elijah Ward,Michael B. Chancellor
Published: June 12, 2020

Discussion
For clinical utility, RT-LAMP has better performance in RNA purified samples compared to direct testing of nasopharyngeal swabs placed in viral transport media. It may be that direct testing of nasopharyngeal swabs is possible for clinical utility by RT-LAMP if the nasal swabs are placed in an alternative matrix, such as saline, water, or ideally a preservative that can stabilize the RNA and render the virus inactive. The potential for direct RT-LAMP testing of other sample types, such as saliva, is also possible.

Full research article -

I am not a scientist, so I am sure other readers will also appreciate the potential from the Plos One paragraph above, where PrimeStore MTM appears to fit the requirement that would enable the rapid testing of various samples rather well!

Reminder of the key attributes of PrimeStore MTM -

PrimeStore MTM does not require cold chain storage and transportation
PrimeStore MTM inactivates infectious biological pathogens including viruses, allowing testing to take place outside of controlled containment (in labs or near to risk/patient settings)
PrimeStore MTM destroys enzymes and nucleases, but preserves and stabilises DNA and RNA
PrimeStore MTM does not inhibit PCR testing (unlike certain other transport media)
PrimeStore MTM has a long shelf life (24 months), whereas as most universal transport media (UTM) and viral transport media (VTM) products can only claim six months.