Randox Toxicology: Highest Percentage of Class A Drug Use in over a Decade
Randox Toxicology: Highest Percentage of Class A Drug Use in over a Decade
Figures released by the Home Office from the Crime Survey of England and Wales for 2017/2018 showed an 8.4 percent rise in 16-24 year olds using Class A drugs in the last year, compared to 7 percent in 2016/2017. As drugs are becoming more readily available due to the Dark Web, mobile phones and drug gangs, a broader network of distribution has been established and the price of cocaine has fallen.
Cocaine is a strong stimulant that comes in a powder (known as coke), freebase or crack form. With short lived effects, cocaine temporarily speeds up the mind and body. Freebase is a powder cocaine that has been prepared for smoking, whilst crack cocaine comes in a rock form. As both forms of cocaine can be smoked, they reach the brain quicker and have a stronger effect than powder cocaine. Injecting any form of the drug has serious risks including, damaged veins and the spread of blood-borne viruses, such as HIV and Hepatitis C. High doses of cocaine can cause the body temperature to rise, resulting in convulsions, a heart attack and heart failure.
The Telegraph recently reported that the fall in cocaine prices has now led to the highest number of young people using Class A drugs in over a decade, a rise from 4.8 percent in 2012/2013. The United Nation’s 2018 World Drug Report states that the street price for a gram of cocaine in the UK in 2016 was £41, the cheapest figure documented at the time since 1990. Compare this to cocaine prices in 2007 when it was £69 per gram.
“Our young people’s services have seen a significant rise in the use of Class A drugs”. Yasmin Batliwala, chair of London based drug and alcohol treatment charity WDP commented on the issue, “The primary drug of choice has always been alcohol, as well as cannabis, but certainly in the last two or more years the use of Class A drugs has increased substantially.” When cocaine and alcohol have been mixed it can cause particularly dangerous side effects and produce a toxic chemical called cocaethylene.
We have the Solution!
Randox Toxicology’s universally available patented Biochip Array Technology boasts cutting-edge multiplex testing capabilities, providing rapid and accurate drug detection from a single sample. Offering excellent cross-reactivity and unrivalled limits of detection, Biochip Array Technology’s intra and inter assay precision is typically <10% giving excellent correlation with confirmatory methods.
Persistently staying ahead of the ever-changing trends, Randox Toxicology are first to market with a range of tests for drugs of abuse, including the cocaine metabolite Benzoylecgonine (BZG). Utilising our Biochip Array Technology, Randox Toxicology’s DoA I, DoA I+, DoA ULTRA/DUID, DoA Evolution and DoA MultiSTAT panels all detect Benzoylecgonine.
Built on a foundation of continuous innovation, our research and development team continue to advance the future of toxicology through pioneering technology and novel tests. Offering the most advanced screening technology on the market, Randox Toxicology has transformed the landscape of drugs of abuse testing forever.
If you would like to find out more information on our unrivalled toxicology test menu, email us at info@randoxtoxicology.com or visit www.randoxtoxicology.com
Randox Food Diagnostics: Feed Testing in the Meat Industry ā Challenges and Solutions
The global meat industry is a multi-billion-dollar business contributing over $85 billion to the US economy alone annually. Globally it is valued at $800 billion and as such, it is one of the biggest industries in the world.
With its already strong position and an ever growing demand for meat products the market shows no sign of slowing down. There are continued demands set on producers to provide not only more meat, but meat at a higher quality. Public awareness on issues such as drug residues, animal rights, food safety and antibiotic resistance is on the rise and as such producers and processors are more and more required to meet stringent requirements.
With the increasing demand on quantity and quality the industry faces many challenges and one the key areas of interest in this production chain is the monitoring of residues.
Residues in food relates to the residual amount of a particular compound either administered to an animal as a veterinary treatment or a naturally occurring compound present in food for human consumption.
There are a number of potential issues that can arise from contaminated feed and it is important for producers to ensure that animal feed has little or no trace of residues of mycotoxins, growth promoters or veterinary drugs.
Veterinary drugs are often added to feed to be used as a method of treating livestock, producers therefore must be sure of the dosage to ensure that withdrawal periods are correctly adhered to. Mycotoxins may also be present in feed due to a number of environmental factors, this can have a negative impact of the livestock.
The Mycotoxin Threat
Mycotoxins are naturally occurring toxins produced by fungi, commonly known as moulds, which can have a harmful effect on humans and livestock. These moulds are of interest to producers because they have the potential for significant economic losses due to how they impact human health, animal productivity and international trading.
Mycotoxins can be present in a wide variety of foods and feeds and are a particular threat in areas with climates of high temperature and humidity. They can enter the food or feed chain through contaminated crops, in particular cereals, poultry meat and kidneys, pig kidneys and pork sausages. Contamination may also occur post-harvest during storage, transport, and processing stages of the food or feed supply chain.
The establishment of mycotoxin limits and regulations have been set by multiple food agencies worldwide. For example the EU 2002-32 Directive sets maximum permitted levels (MPLs) for substances that are present in, or on, animal feed that have the potential to pose danger to animal or human health, to the environment, or could have an undesirable affect to livestock production.
One type of livestock that can be significantly impacted by mycotoxins are pigs. Pig feed contaminated with mycotoxins can cause serious risks to pig health.
For example, Aflatoxins consumed by swine can expose non-clinical characteristics with low level exposure (20 to 200 ppb), inducing symptoms displayed such as feed avoidance, gastrointestinal disturbances, paleness and slower growth. It can also suppress the immune system and cause young piglets to become more susceptible to bacterial, viral or parasitic diseases. With prolonged exposure causing a greater risk of cancer, liver damage and jaundice. High concentrations of aflatoxin (1,000 to 5,000 ppb) result in acute effects, including death. It is a genotoxic carcinogen and suitably its levels have been set as low as realistically possible in complete feeding stuffs for pigs and poultry with a maximum content value of 0.02.
Zearalenone is another mycotoxin that can have a negative impact on livestock. Produced by a strain of Fusarium graminearum it has been listed under the Directive with a guidance value. It has an estrogeneous action and is significantly toxic to the reproductive system of animals with the potential to cause rectal and vaginal prolapses in gilts (young sows). Zearalenone has been allocated a suggested guidance value of 0.1ppm in complementary and complete feeding stuffs for piglets and gilts and 0.25ppm in feedstuffs for sows and fattening pigs.
With the risk from multiple Mycotoxins in animal feed it is important to be able to detect dangerous levels of each listed in the EU Directive in order to reduce instances of damage to animal health.
Growth Promoters
Growth promoters are often used in the meat industry to increase yield of livestock, an important tool considering the increased demand on quantity from the food chain. Some of these growth promoters however are known to have a negative impact on both animal and human health.
The presence of anabolic steroids including beta agonists such as Clenbuterol and Ractopamine, as well as other veterinary drugs is under a strict monitoring program in meat and animal feed to prevent these negative impacts.
Growth promoting drugs are used to induce weight but can have various health concerns such as such as hospitalisation with reversible symptoms of increased heart rate, muscular tremors, headache, nausea, fever, and chills.
The potential human health risks highlight the importance of complete food safety testing before a food product reaches the public.
Veterinary Drugs
Due to the nature of the conditions livestock is generally kept in, there is a high potential for infection and spread of viruses. Producers need to be aware and proactive in treating any veterinary disease that arises.
One such disease that can be an issue is coccidiosis which is a parasitic disease of the intestinal tract. This disease can be spread by contact with infected faeces, or the ingestion of infected tissues by other animals. Coccisiostats are potent drugs which are widely used within veterinary practice to treat coccidiosis, mainly in feed additives. Chickens are susceptible to at least 11 species of coccidia that causes coccidiosis therefore creating an importance to treat for. Coccisiostat residues that occur in high levels within food for human consumption can be unsafe and can have negative effects on pre-existing coronary conditions/diseases. These residues can pass through the meat tissue and eggs.
The Solution
With a variety of potential residues to be detected and a need for accurate results many producers are using Randox Food Diagnostics technology to carry out sample analysis.
With the development of the patented Biochip Array Technology Randox have consolidated the testing of multiple residues down to one sample which means time and cost saving for the meat industry. For example, with one Biochip a meat producer’s laboratory could test for 9 different growth promoter residues.
The technology centres on the Biochip, a 9mm2 ceramic chip which acts as the reaction well where samples are placed, requiring little technical expertise for preparation. Each chip is spotted with the antibodies required to detect the individual analytes being tested for and can accommodate up to 43 analytes. Food laboratories can then detect 43 different residues with one test.
The biochip works on the Evidence Investigator (Semi-Automated) and Evidence MultiSTAT(Automated) analysers. These analysers are used as the imaging stations for the biochips. Each spotted test site sends out a chemiluminescent signal which is detected by the analyser, processed, quantified and validated by the instrument software.
With a simple process, fast method and trusted results many of the world’s top meat producers are investing in Biochip Array Technology to ensure the safety and quality of their products.
For more information please contact us at: info@randoxfooddiagnostics.com.
RTS: Back-to-Lab Testing
Randox Testing Services offers high quality drug testing with use of our revolutionary Biochip Array Technology specifically optimised for drugs of abuse testing. This technology allows multiplex back-to-lab testing of different drugs from one sample and offers test consolidation for comprehensive testing at an affordable price.
With a comprehensive drugs of abuse test menu we are able to test for a range of different drugs. Drug testing packages can be customised to include multiple different drugs to test per sample.
Our drug testing methods ensure fast and simple sample collection. We have a variety of non-invasive methods for patient comfort including use of a urine sample, hair strand or oral fluid sample to test for specified drugs. Utilisation of different testing methods also ensures flexibility of drug abuse profiling with the ability to offer short-term drug abuse profiling via oral fluid and urine testing, long-term drug abuse profiling via hair testing or a combination of both.
Oral Fluid Testing
An oral fluid test can detect drugs for up to 48 hours after consumption. Providing analysis of short-term drug abuse, an oral fluid drug test is used by employers conducting for-cause and post-incident testing, as well as medico-legal solicitors who may require testing for abstinence of drugs.
An oral fluid test consists of obtaining a saliva sample from between the cheek and gums to analyse traces of drugs. This sample method is reliable due to the high concentrations of drug components which remain in the oral cavity for a period of time after drug consumption. Sample collection is taken quickly, easily and is non-invasive. The sample collection is also observed which ensures samples are not tampered with.
Urine Testing
A urine test offers short-term detection of substance abuse. Alcohol is detectable in urine for less than 12 hours, and a urine drug test can detect traces of drugs from between 4 hours and up to 8 days (this may be extended for regular cannabis users to around 30 days). It is often used in a combination with hair testing to provide an enhanced time-line for drug and alcohol detection; therefore allowing analysis of chronic substance abuse.
As a simple and practical method it is used as the most common sample type for workplace drug and alcohol testing. It is also utilised when conducting family law testing to ensure no alcohol intake by someone who has been forbidden to consume alcohol by a court of law or someone who is on a drugs or alcohol rehabilitation program.
A urine test consists of gaining a urine sample from the individual securely. Due to the nature of the urine sample being deposited privately by the sample donor, measures need to be taken to ensure the sample is not tampered with. At Randox Testing Services samples are collected under strict chain of custody protocols to guarantee sample integrity for legally defensible testing. We also increase accuracy of results by testing for creatinine which is a simple method of testing the authenticity of the sample given and reduces false-negative results giving you confidence in these testing methods.
Hair Testing
Hair testing is a long-term substance abuse profiling with a detection window of 90+ days. It is commonly used by recruiters and employers conducting pre-employment screening and is the most common sample type used for substance abuse assessment in child protection and medico-legal cases.
Hair testing involves taking a hair stand sample from an individual to detect if and approximately when someone has consumed drugs or alcohol. A 3cm sample is generally used to obtain a longer analysis of substance abuse.
When a drug is taken it is absorbed into the blood stream and circulated around the body. As a result it is incorporated into the hair follicle meaning that as the hair grows, drugs are transferred into the hair strand. It can take up to 2 weeks for drug components to enter the hair and therefore analysis of a 3cm sample is recommended.
Analysis of the hair strand allows traces of drugs to be detected to provide an overall picture of drug abuse or a month by month analysis. Segmentation of the hair sample to provide a detailed month-on-month view is advantageous as it can highlight trends of drug use and identify periods of abstinence or high level use. Body hair can be used in special circumstances however segmentation into a month by month analysis is not possible.
Randox Testing Services
Through utilising innovative multiplex drug and alcohol screening methods as well as LC/GC mass spectrometry confirmatory analysis our complete service guarantees reliable and accurate results.
For more information on our back-to-lab testing services contact us at testingservices@randox.com to speak with one of our experts.
We Are Randox | Marketing Placement Student Thomas Adams on his year at Randox
It’s that time of year again at Randox when we must say a fond farewell to our placement students as they leave to embark on their final year of study at university. We’re proud to be a key employer of placement students in Northern Ireland, having welcomed a huge 50 students through our doors last year, and are always enthusiastic to see students grow and develop during their time with us.
One such placement student who has this month come to the end of his 50-week placement with us is Thomas Adams, a marketing student at Ulster University.
Thomas joined the Randox Food Diagnostics team in September 2017 as a Placement Marketing Executive. We caught up with him to hear all about his placement year with Randox.
Thomas, why did you want to forge a career in marketing?
I’ve always been a creative person. I remember taking note of advertisements on billboards and on the TV and thinking that creating something like that would be my dream job. Marketing specifically appealed to me because you can incorporate the creativity of advertising while also interacting with the public and assisting sales teams. Variety is the spice of life after all!
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Creative, confident and chatty.
Why Randox?
I’ve always known Randox as an NI-based global leader in diagnostics, particularly because I studied science at A-level and Randox would have been mentioned from time to time. Marketing at Randox, in particular, really appealed to me because of the scale of the company and all its divisions. I was enthusiastic to gain marketing experience in this high-calibre global company right on my doorstep.
Describe a typical day as a placement marketing executive.
When I come to work in the morning the first thing I do is check all emails and enquiries that have come in overnight to our Customer Relationship Management system and send out new enquiries to sales people stationed across the world. The Randox Food Diagnostics division has customers throughout the globe and there are many international queries that will come in throughout the night because of the different time zones.
The rest of my day is focussed on wine – and no, it’s not what you think!
I manage the marketing activities of the wine testing division of Randox Food Diagnostics. We’re working behind the scenes when you are enjoying a glass of wine with your meal, as have developed a range of high quality analysers and wine testing reagents which aid the wine industry. Quality is at the heart of what we do and we want to ensure the quality of your wine.
I spend much of my time creating fresh and exciting content for our website and social media channels. This could range from information on our wine testing kits, to current news stories in the wine industry.
I also manage the translation of this material into the languages of the various countries around the world in which Randox Food Diagnostics operate. I also take enquiries from our sales team for any new promotional material or market research they require to increase their sales.
How did you come to manage the marketing for the wine division of Randox Food Diagnostics?
When I first started, I was mentored by my team leader who gave me certain tasks specifically in the wine sector, and trained me up on everything I needed to know – helping to ease me in to what was for me, my first full-time job.
After three months, the wine division was then given to me to manage. This meant that I was in control of all marketing campaigns, materials and events for the wine sector. It was so exciting to be given this opportunity and I was delighted to hear that I was doing well, that my team leader was pleased with my progress and that he felt I could be entrusted with the division.
New wine tests need new advertising campaigns and market research and I was delighted to oversee this, as I was able to unleash my creative side in presenting my ideas to the rest of the team. I had to come up with the campaign strapline, the artwork, and the social media strategy, and make decisions about what advertising vehicles were best suited to our target audience – whether it be television, magazines, online or outdoor.
I also had the responsibility of staying up-to-date with the industry’s current market trends while organising our presence at wine events and conferences, such as ‘Unified’ in the U.S. I have found the experience of managing all the different activities of an entire marketing division incredibly insightful and rewarding.
How have you found your placement year at Randox?
I have found my placement year very enjoyable. I never felt like just a placement student – I was made to feel like an integrated part of the team from day one. Everyone is so helpful as well. It doesn’t matter if you’ve been here for twenty years or two weeks, anyone you ask will be willing to help you with whatever you need.
I have also really enjoyed the opportunity to travel while at Randox. I particularly enjoyed going to Lancaster in Pennsylvania, to see American marketing first-hand at the Eastern Winery Expo. I was involved in all aspects of the event’s management – booking the event, designing the booth, creating the promotional material and shipping it all across to America. It was fantastic to see all my hard work pay off at the event and to be able to chat to our U.S. customers face-to-face.
What is the best thing about Randox?
Definitely my colleagues. Everyone is so friendly and it didn’t take long to settle in at all. I’ve really enjoyed playing Randox football after work on a Monday night in Crumlin too as it gives you the opportunity to get to know people from the other Randox sites while having a friendly kickaround.
What has been the most challenging aspect of your time at Randox?
When I first arrived, I had a general overview of what Randox does and of some of its products, but I didn’t know anything about the company’s patented Biochip Array Technology. I had to quickly get my head around it and learn all about Randox biochips because it’s this innovative technology that Randox Food Diagnostics uses to stay ahead of competitors in the market.
Although initially challenging, I have enjoyed throwing myself in to this learning experience and turning what was once a negative in to a massive positive – I’m now as up-to-date on the newest technology as I possibly could be and that makes for the best marketing campaigns and promotional material. It’s been great for my own personal development to get stuck in to an entirely new area of science and to see my progress from the beginning of the year until now.
I’m a big believer of the importance of always learning and trying something new.
What do you do when not in the office?
I like playing sports, such as football. I’m also a keen cycler. My parents have always been in to cycling so I guess you could say its in the blood. In July I went to Fort William in Scotland for a week of mountain-biking. I love the thrill and the adrenalin rush!
What are your goals for the future?
I would like to secure a marketing role in a globally successful company like Randox, although I wouldn’t say for sure that I’ll always be in marketing as I wouldn’t mind branching out in to forecasting or sales. Fortunately, at Randox you have the flexibility to try a new role if you feel you’d like to expand your skillset. The careers team are really open to people moving about until they find their niche. That’s why the Graduate Programme is so great – you are able to rotate throughout different departments until you find the perfect role for you – one which you are passionate about.
Personally, one of my aims for the future is to travel more. I’d like to venture off the beaten track and see some of the more unexplored areas of the world such as Asia, the Arctic or areas of South America.
But for now, it’s time to get my head back into the books for my final year of studies at university. Wish me luck!
We wish Thomas, like all our placement students, all the best for the future as they head back to university. We look forward to following your budding career in marketing.
For more information on placements at Randox, please contact recruitment@randox.com for more information.
For more We Are Randox stories about our amazing colleagues, make sure to follow us on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter and follow the hashtag #WeAreRandox.
Biotin Supplementation Interference in Health Diagnostic Testing
Continuing our theme of Biotin (Vitamin B7) this month, we turn our attention to its role in diagnostic testing.
With as many as 20% of people taking biotin-containing supplements, including high profile celebrities such as Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian and Vanessa Hudgens, it is important to know the effects it can have on particular blood tests, should you visit your GP or local hospital.
Whilst there are various diagnostic health tests out there, including fertility hormone tests, prostate tests, and tests for troponin – a marker released into the blood during a heart attack – that are known to be affected by elevated levels of biotin, there are other tests available, including those provided by Randox, that are not impacted.
The reason that so many non-Randox tests are impacted by biotin is that biotin is widely used throughout the biotechnology industry in the development of diagnostic tests.
ELISA tests in particular (tests that measure the reaction of antibodies to identify a substance) often make use of antibodies labelled with biotin, to detect toxins or other foreign substances within the body.
In most instances, the biotin will bind with high affinity to a protein called streptavidin. This affinity of streptavidin for biotin is the strongest non-covalent biological interaction known, and is therefore particularly useful in binding antibodies within diagnostic tests.
But with more and more people exceeding the recommended daily dosage for biotin (30 micrograms) by taking up to 10,000 micrograms of biotin in supplements marketed for beauty reasons, many diagnostic tests are being measured inaccurately. Excess biotin in the blood can block the binding of biotin-labelled antibodies to streptavidin within the tests, and the substance being tested won’t be measured accurately.
Laboratory professionals have known about this potential problem for some time. In late November 2017, the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) published a safety notice to make the public and healthcare practitioners more aware that biotin can “significantly interfere with certain lab tests and cause incorrect test results.”
The FDA even reported on one particular case in which a patient died following falsely low troponin (marker of a heart attack) results when the troponin test used was known to have biotin interference. Biotin supplements masked the true diagnosis of a heart attack.
Many patients taking biotin supplements have also been misdiagnosed with a condition called Graves’ disease, an autoimmune condition characterised by an overactive thyroid. In these cases, biotin supplementation led to falsely low levels of thyroid stimulating hormones, and falsely high levels of other thyroid hormones. This particular profile of hormones led to a Graves’ disease diagnosis, in spite of a lack of symptoms, which in Graves’ disease would usually include muscle weakness, a quickened heartbeat, sleeping problems, diarrhoea, weight loss and poor tolerance of heat.
In pregnant women, tests that are impacted by biotin interference may produce falsely low levels of beta HCG, more commonly known as the ‘pregnancy hormone’ as it released by the placenta after conception. With low levels of beta HCG, and therefore no confirmation of pregnancy, pregnant women could be exposed to X-rays and CT scans that may harm the developing foetus.
So, what can be done? Suggestions have been made that patients taking biotin supplements should be made to wait before any diagnostic testing is conducted, so that the biotin clears from their system.
But this “Wait and Watch” approach certainly would not work in emergencies. In the case of a heart attack, testing must be conducted as soon as possible to allow for diagnosis, immediate medical intervention and follow-up testing.
At Randox, we are convinced that the risk of analytic interference by biotin supplementation is a serious problem that needs to be more widely recognised and promptly addressed.
In the GP setting, general practitioners must ask their patients if they are taking any biotin supplements and inform the testing laboratory if interference from biotin is a possibility. They should also consider that lab results not matching with a patient’s signs and symptoms may be caused by biotin interference.
In the acute care setting however, it is imperative that biotin technology is not used in diagnostic testing to protect patients from misdiagnosis and subsequently, further health problems.
This is why Randox’s patented Biochip Array Technology does not use biotin technology in its development. This revolutionary methodology, free from Biotin-Streptavidin is not impacted by elevated levels of biotin from biotin supplementation in the same way as Biotin-Streptavidin tests.
So if you have been taking biotin supplements for hair or nail growth, to ease symptoms associated with Multiple Sclerosis, for epilepsy or for a range of other health conditions, and your diagnostic testing has been conducted using Randox Biochip Array Technology, you can rest assured of true, accurate, and reliable results.
Randox Biochip Array Technology is interference-proof.
For further information on the Randox Biochip, visit https://www.randox.com/multiplex-testing/
For any additional questions, please contact Randox PR by email: randoxpr@randox.com or by phoning 028 9442 2413
Introducing the EveryBusiness Offering from Randox Health
Absenteeism has long been a problem in business. There are a variety of reasons why employees may be absent but one of the most common is illness. Employees lose an average of 30.4 working days a year due to sickness or underperforming at work due to ill health, according to research by VitalityHealth.
Its 2017 Britain’s Healthiest Workplace report, which surveyed 31,950 employees, found that productive working days lost due to physical and mental health issues cost the UK economy approximately £77.5 billion a year.
At Randox Health, we’re aiming to change the statistics and help employees to live healthier for longer. Our innovative health checks can detect disease and irregularity at the earliest stage, allowing lifestyle changes to be made now when potential illness can still be reversed.
Having a healthier workforce, conscious of how their lifestyle choices are affecting them, has been proven to encourage productivity and decrease absenteeism. Poor employee productivity is just as damaging to the workplace economy as absenteeism. One of the main causes of low productivity is poor health.
Take care of your staff with an Everybusiness programme at Randox Health. The gift of health is invaluable and will not only allow employees to enjoy the benefits of the world’s most comprehensive health programme available, but will also save your business time and money.
Our health checks are the most advanced blood screening packages available in the world as we use our patented Biochip Array Technology. Using this technology, hundreds of individual blood tests can be carried out on a single sample, allowing you to have truly unrivalled knowledge about your health both now and in the future.
We specialise in wellbeing, assessing up to 350 elements of your body and allowing early identification of illness before problems develop.
For more information on the EveryBusiness offering from Randox Health, please contact info@randoxhealth.com or phone 0800 2545 130.
Antibodies & Human Recombinant Proteins
Randox Biosciences is a world-leading primary manufacturer of high quality monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies, antibody fragments and human recombinant proteins. Our team of scientists possess unrivalled expertise which enables us to provide you with a comprehensive suite of products and services dedicated to advancing biopharmaceutical research and diagnostics.
Product Portfolio
Randox Biosciences offers an extensive portfolio of over 900 products for a multitude of R&D applications including more than 500 monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies and over 140 human recombinant proteins as well as antibody fragments, buffers & diluents and plasma.
Monoclonal Antibodies
- Biochemical markers: Biochemical messengers, fatty acid binding proteins and products with applications in the following therapeutic areas; cardiovascular/cerebrovascular and metabolic/Nutrition
- Drugs of abuse: Alcohol, anti-depressants, barbituates, hallucinogens, opiates, stimulants
- Drug Residues: antimicrobial drugs, growth promoters, mycotoxins
Polyclonal Antibodies
- Biochemical markers: Biochemical messengers, fatty acid binding proteins and products with applications in the following therapeutic areas; Immunology, Oncology, Cardiovascular/Cerebrovascular and Metabolic/Nutrition
- Drugs of abuse: Alcohol, Analgesics, Anti‑depressants, Barbituates, Benzodiazepines, Hallucinogens, Opiates, Sedatives, Stimulants, Synthetic Drugs, Therapeutic drugs
- Drug Residues: Anti-inflammatory Drugs, Antimicrobial Drugs, Anti-Parasitic Drugs, Growth Promoters, Mycotoxins
Recombinant Antibody Fragments
- Single chain variable fragment (scFvs)
- Single domain antibodies (sdAbs)
Frozen Human Plasma
- Available in three formats (Male, Female and Mixed Gender)
- Highly screened for; HIV, Hepatitis B+C, HTLV I + II, Syphilis, CMV and Procleix WNV
Human Recombinant Proteins (E.Coli & Mammalian)
- Adhesion Molecules
- Chemokines
- Cytokines
- Proteases
- Tumour markers
Buffers & Diluents
- Complementary range available
Key Features & Benefits
- All products manufactured at our ISO 13485 accredited UK manufacturing plant
- Product range of over 900 products
- 30 years’ experience in raw material manufacture and assay development
- Many unique and novel products including designer drugs, Mycotoxins and oncology markers
- As our host animals are sheep, our antibodies have higher sensitivity and specificity
- Excellent reproducibility between lot numbers
- Products reflect the components used in-house in the production of Randox diagnostic products and research programs
- Highly experienced in developing difficult targets (i.e. small molecules and novel biomarkers)
- Full customisation service available
- A range of pack sizes available including bulk quantities for commercial development
- Products can be used in a multitude
Custom Development Services
To meet your precise requirements, Randox Biosciences offer customised antibody generation services to the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industry. Our custom development service, which encompasses antibodies and human recombinant proteins has achieved tremendous success within the biopharmaceutical and diagnostic industries. Key components of our custom service are our range of monoclonal antibodies as well as our recombinant antibody fragments (sdAbs, scFvs, fAbs).
Our customisation service has proven incredibly successful in the research and development industries allowing access our expertise to obtain the antibody and protein most relevant to your line of work. With over 300 highly trained research scientists and over 30 years’ experience in commercial assay development, Randox Biosciences can also provide a tailor-made assay development service to meet your specifications in both a timely and cost-effective manner.
For more information contact: info@Randoxbiosciences.com
Health Theme August 2018: The role of Biotin / Vitamin B7
How much do you know about Biotin? Taken by a wealth of celebrities including Kylie Jenner, Kim Kardashian and Vanessa Hudgens for its hair and nail-strengthening properties, this vitamin has grown in popularity in recent years.
Commonly known as Vitamin B7, Biotin is a water-soluble vitamin found in bodily enzymes which metabolise fat and carbohydrates.
It therefore plays an important role in cell growth and in maintaining a steady blood sugar level, and also assists in various reactions, including the movement of carbon dioxide around the body. It is often recommended as a dietary supplement for strengthening hair and nails, and as such is often found in many cosmetics and health products for the hair and skin.
Due to its key role within the body, the National Academy of Medicine (formerly the Institute of Medicine) recommends a dose of 30 micrograms of biotin each day, from a range of food sources including beef or pork, egg, yeast, whole wheat bread, avocado, salmon, cauliflower or cheese. Raw egg whites however contain a particular protein that blocks the absorption of biotin, so people who regularly consume a large number of eggs may become biotin-deficient.
Those suffering from biotin deficiency disorders therefore are often prescribed biotin supplements – up to as much as 300 milligrams per day for Multiple Sclerosis patients, for whom the B group vitamins are vital in managing symptoms. Biotin in particular is very useful in cases of progress MS because it supports nerve cell metabolism.
There are also some inherited metabolic disorders which, due to a deficiency in the enzymes which process biotin, prevent the body’s cells from using it effectively.
Usually, however, biotin deficiency occurs simply from an absence of the vitamin in the diet, particularly in breastfeeding mothers. Symptoms of deficiency include:
- Conjunctivitis
- Dermatitis in the form of a scaly red rash
- Neurological symptoms in adults including depression, lethargy, hallucination, numbness and tingling of the extremities
- Brittle and thin fingernails
- Hair loss (alopecia)
Supplements may also be recommended to those suffering from alcoholism, patients who have had partial removal of their stomach, burn patients, epileptics, elderly individuals, athletes, and pregnant women, who have a higher risk of biotin deficiency. It is estimated that as many as 20% of people consume Biotin-containing supplements.
While biotin supplements may help pregnant women and some people with other health disorders, it is of course incredibly important to eat a balanced and healthy diet that includes all the vitamins and minerals necessary for normal body function.
Take time to consider how you can incorporate appropriate and safe amounts of biotin into your daily diet.
For further information, please contact Randox PR by email: randoxpr@randox.com or by phoning 028 9442 2413
Renal Testing on the Randox Evidence Series
The Evidence Series of Immunoassay analysers consists of four revolutionary Biochip Array Technology platforms including the Evidence, Evolution, MulitSTAT and Investigator. These analysers can be used in multiple applications including; Clinical Diagnostics, Drug Development, Forensic Toxicology, Food Diagnostics, Academic Research and Veterinary Testing.
Powered by Biochip Array Technology (BAT), the Evidence series is a precise multiplex testing platform allowing for the simultaneous quantitative or qualitative detection of a wide range of analytes from a single sample.
It provides a unique platform for assessment of biological samples in a rapid, accurate and easy to use format.
Based on ELISA principles, the biochip is a solid-state device with discrete test sites onto which antibodies specific to different targets are immobilised and stabilised. Competitive chemiluminescent immunoassays are then employed, offering a highly sensitive screen.
Biochip Array Technology uniquely offers immunoassay diagnostic testing for simultaneous multi-analyte biomarker detection. After addition of a single patient sample to the biochip, analytes present in the sample bind to the specific biochip bound ligands. The degree of binding is determined using a chemiluminescent light source and quantified using a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) camera and imaging system.
Each biochip has up to 49 Discrete Test Regions (DTR’s) each detecting a different biomarker. This means that up to 44 tests can be carried out simultaneously. The additional DTR’s are reserved for internal quality control and visual reference, a unique Biochip Array Technology feature.
Drug Toxicity
Our Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) panel can help in the application of patient safety monitoring in the detection of drug toxicity during the clinical trial phases. The detection of drug toxicity in the early stages of a clinical trial is critical to ensure not only patient safety but also saves valuable time and resources in drug development. This is also important in saving valuable research funding with phase I, II & III costing upwards of $30-40 Million1.
Acute Kidney Injury
- Osteopontin – OPN
- Serum creatinine – Creatinine
- Serum cystatin-C – Cystatin-C
- Kidney injury Molecule-I – KIM-I
- Urinary neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin – NGAL
Randox’s AKI panel is available as a single sample test on our Biochip Array Technology on our Evidence Investigator Immunoassay Analyser. With a throughput of up to 2376 test per hour, the Evidence Investigator is the perfect platform to detect Acute Kidney Injury, a strong indicator of early stage drug toxicity.
The importance of Renal testing has become ever more prevalent due to the increase of several factors that can lead to chronic kidney disease (CKD) with more evidence demonstrating that AKI can initiate the development or accelerate the progression of CKD2. CKD affects 1 in 10 people worldwide and is incurable, causing patients to need lifelong care3. According to the National Kidney Foundation, the two main causes of CKD are Diabetes and high blood pressure.4. The World Health Organisation estimated that 8.5% of adults aged 18 years and older had diabetes in 2014 and of the 422 million people in the world with type 1 and 2 diabetes, 20-30% will develop diabetic nephropathy, also known as diabetic kidney disease – the leading cause of renal failure in the world5. With this in mind it is vitally important to get tested right away especially if you suffer from diabetes, hypertension or have a family history of kidney failure. Our CKD 7-plex and 4-plex arrays developed in collaboration with National University of Galway demonstrate that a multi-marker approach holds promise for early CKD detection, discrimination of progressive CKD stages and prediction of renal decline.
Chronic Kidney Disease I:
- Fatty Acid Binding Protein I – FABPI
- Soluble Tumour Necrosis Factor Receptor I – sTNFR I
- Soluble Tumour Necrosis Factor Receptor II – sTNFR II
- Macrophage Inflammatory Protein Iα – MIP-Iα
- Interleukin-8 – IL-8
- Epidermal Growth Factor – EGF
- D-Dimer
Chronic Kidney Disease II:
- Complement C3a Des Arginine – C3a des Arg
- C-Reactive Protein – CRP
- Neutrophil Gelatinase Associated Lipocalin – NGAL
- Cystatin C
References
- (2018). How much do clinical trials for drugs cost?. [online] Available at: https://www.quora.com/How-much-do-clinical-trials-for-drugs-cost [Accessed 10 Jul. 2018].
- Hartung, T. (2018). Food for Thought Look Back in Anger – What Clinical Studies Tell Us About Preclinical Work. [online] PubMed Central (PMC). Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3790571/ [Accessed 10 Jul. 2018].
- com. (2018). Chronic Kidney Disease: The Silent Killer – Path Medical. [online] Available at: https://pathmedical.com/ckd-the-silent-killer/ [Accessed 10 Jul. 2018].
- National Kidney Foundation. (2018). About Chronic Kidney Disease. [Online] Avaiable at: https://www.kidney.org/atoz/content/about-chronic-kidney-disease [Accessed 10 Jul. 2018]
- World Health Organisation. (2018) Diabetes. [Online] Available at: http://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/diabetes [Accessed 10 Jul. 2018]
For more information on any of the Evidence Series analysers, please visit https://www.randox.com/evidence-series/ or contact us evidenceseries@randox.com.
Randox pioneers health testing innovations at worldās largest diagnostics conference
World-leading medical diagnostics manufacturer Randox Laboratories is this week showcasing advancements in biotechnology at the world’s largest diagnostics conference, being held in Chicago, Illinois.
The American Association of Clinical Chemistry (AACC) Annual Meeting and Clinical Lab Expo, known as the leading event for laboratory medicine worldwide, offers Randox the opportunity to showcase their capabilities to more than 20,000 healthcare professionals and decision makers from around the globe.
“Our pioneering diagnostic technologies are leading the way in innovation and have real potential to transform healthcare around the world,” said Randox Managing Director, Dr Peter FitzGerald.
“At AACC we will be hosting demonstrations of a wide range of our intuitive multiplex analysers, including the revolutionary Randox Evidence Evolution, the world’s first fully automated random-access testing platform, capable of delivering 2640 results in one hour, with the first delivered in just 37 minutes.”
The unique and unrivalled capabilities of the Randox Evidence Evolution are made possible thanks to Randox’s patented Biochip Array Technology, which can currently run 49 different tests simultaneously – ensuring an accurate and reliable diagnosis as fast as possible.
Launching at this year’s AACC event are a number of exciting new tests on the Randox Biochip, the result of a £280 million investment in research and development. Including but not exclusive to a diagnostic test for the differentiation of hemorrhagic and ischemic strokes, an algorithm capable of generating a patient’s Type 1 Diabetes Genetic Risk Score, and a test to diagnose Acute Kidney Injury (AKI) in the participants of pharmaceutical drug trials, these new tests all share the common goal of much earlier and effective diagnosis, to greatly improve healthcare outcomes and reduce the burden on healthcare services.
Dr. FitzGerald continued;
“We remain committed to developing new health diagnostic technologies for a range of the world’s most pressing health issues in need of the most urgent address, and to expanding the business in our key markets, such as the US.
“Our very significant investment in research and development means that we have more new tests in development than any other healthcare company in the world and are able each year to bring a wealth of exciting new technologies to the American market.
“We look forward to showcasing our latest innovations at this year’s AACC conference, and how they can be utilised to save, improve and extend lives through the earliest possible diagnosis. Randox technology can truly revolutionise the future of healthcare.”
AACC runs from the 29th July – 2nd August at McCormick Place in Chicago, Illinois. Randox can be found at booth #3624.
For further information visit aacc.randox.com
