Randox Biosciences: dedicated to advancing scientific discovery
Randox Laboratories is an international clinical diagnostic solutions company with over 35 years’ experience in the industry. Randox is a global market leader, providing revolutionary products for laboratories worldwide and is dedicated to improving health.
Randox Biosciences is part of Randox Laboratories and is dedicated to advancing scientific discovery, drug development and diagnostics. Spanning four key divisions; Life Sciences, Pharma Sciences, Research and Molecular; Randox Biosciences offers complete tailored solutions for clinical and research use.
From initial cultivation of raw materials for assay development, through to providing companion diagnostics, custom and molecular based assays across a range of therapy areas; Randox Biosciences is a trusted partner supplying quality diagnostic solutions to the clinical, life science, pharmaceutical, research and biopharma industries. We specialise in supplying academic centres, genetics laboratories and the global biopharmaceutical industry with products tailored to their specific needs.
Randox Biosciences Research team encompasses a knowledgeable group of who are dedicated to assisting your research project to completion. Recently, the research team has expanded to include Business Development Executives in America to support academic centres of excellence achieve their potential while utilising our quality products. We are proud to welcome Rebecca Newburg who will be focusing her efforts on the US-Midwest market and Celestine Eshiet who will be working on the US -West Coast.
We cover five areas of research such as Sport and Exercise, Cardiovascular, Metabolic, Immunology and Oncology. These five areas include our Metabolic Syndrome Array 1 & 2, Cytokine Arrays and Cardiac Array including CK-MB, H-FABP, Myoglobin and Troponin.
If you work in an academic centre and are interested in our variety of arrays, analysers whether that be chemistry or immunoassay analysers, or our reagents or quality control please do not hesitate to contact us at info@randoxbiosciences.com.
Study by Center for Disease Dynamics finds dramatic rise in global antibiotic consumption
A dramatic increase in global consumption of antibiotics has led public health experts to call for innovative new ways to rein in excessive use of the drugs, following a study by the Centre for Disease Dynamics, Economics and Policy, in Washington DC.
The study found a 65% rise in worldwide consumption of antibiotics from 2000 to 2015, despite efforts to encourage more prudent use of the drugs. The unrestrained use of antibiotics is the main cause of the increasing appearance of drug-resistant infections, which now kill more than half a million people worldwide. A report in 2014 predicted that the spread of drug resistance could claim millions of lives per year by 2050.
Eili Klein, an author of the study, which was published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Science, criticised the global response to the global antibiotic resistance crisis as “slow and inadequate” and called for a “radical thinking” of antibiotic consumption.
At Randox, our pioneering R&D teams have developed a revolutionary swab test for respiratory infections which will help to reduce the unnecessary prescription of antibiotics. Earlier this year, Public Health England reported that 59% of people who visited their GP with a sore throat were prescribed antibiotics, in spite of only 13% actually needing them.
The new Randox swab test indicates the cause of the infection and whether a patient needs antibiotics or not, by rapidly detecting and identifying the cause of 21 respiratory infections in just 5 hours
The test assists the clinician in prescribing the appropriate antibiotic.
John Lamont, Lead Scientist at Randox Laboratories, said;
“Current diagnostic testing for respiratory infections takes at least 36 hours to confirm the nature of an infection, and they cannot name and categorise infections as bacterial or viral in the way our new respiratory test can.”
This test, if widely adopted, could allow medical practitioners to make the correct treatment choice on the same day as examination and before patients have already begun a precautionary course of inefficient antibiotics. It would also have additional efficiency savings for the NHS, by eliminating the need for lengthy microbiology lab tests and unnecessarily prescribing drugs which are not needed.
This new rapid and accurate test will give clinicians confidence in their diagnosis of respiratory infections and will allow for quicker treatment if necessary, which benefits patient outcomes. By reducing the prescription of unnecessary antibiotics, we can limit their use only for when they are truly needed.
The test is also available as a Randox Health Cough, Cold & Flu offering, and can be carried out by booking an appointment with Randox Health at our clinics in Crumlin, Holywood or London, or by arranging the mobile clinic to visit you at your home or place of work.
Book an appointment with one of our clinics, or arrange the mobile clinic, by phoning 0800 2545 130 or by clicking here.
For further information about the Randox Respiratory Infection Array please contact the Randox PR team by email: randoxpr@randox.com or phone 028 9442 2413
Randox Biosciences: dedicated to advancing scientific discovery
Randox Laboratories is an international clinical diagnostic solutions company with over 35 years’ experience in the industry. Randox is a global market leader, providing revolutionary products for laboratories worldwide and is dedicated to improving health.
Randox Biosciences is part of Randox Laboratories and is dedicated to advancing scientific discovery, drug development and diagnostics. Spanning four key divisions; Life Sciences, Pharma Sciences, Research and Molecular; Randox Biosciences offers complete tailored solutions for clinical and research use.
From initial cultivation of raw materials for assay development, through to providing companion diagnostics, custom and molecular based assays across a range of therapy areas; Randox Biosciences is a trusted partner supplying quality diagnostic solutions to the clinical, life science, pharmaceutical, research and biopharma industries. We specialise in supplying academic centres, genetics laboratories and the global biopharmaceutical industry with products tailored to their specific needs.
Randox Biosciences Research team encompasses a knowledgeable group of who are dedicated to assisting your research project to completion. Recently, the research team has expanded to include Business Development Executives in America to support academic centres of excellence achieve their potential while utilising our quality products. We are proud to welcome Rebecca Newburg who will be focusing her efforts on the US-Midwest market and Celestine Eshiet who will be working on the US -West Coast.
We cover five areas of research such as Sport and Exercise, Cardiovascular, Metabolic, Immunology and Oncology. These five areas include our Metabolic Syndrome Array 1 & 2, Cytokine Arrays and Cardiac Array including CK-MB, H-FABP, Myoglobin and Troponin.
If you work in an academic centre and are interested in our variety of arrays, analysers whether that be chemistry or immunoassay analysers, or our reagents or quality control please do not hesitate to contact us at info@randoxbiosciences.com.
Randox Laboratories and Qnostics announce strategic partnership
Randox Laboratories and Qnostics have today announced that they have entered into a strategic partnership. The partnership will provide Randox Laboratories with access to the Qnostics molecular range of products for sales and distribution purposes, complementing the established Randox Laboratories portfolio.
Access to the Randox Laboratories commercial capabilities will enhance Qnostics’ market penetration, whilst also maintaining their presence as an independent provider of molecular quality controls and custom services.
MD of Randox Laboratories, Dr Peter FitzGerald said;
“We are delighted to have agreed a strategic partnership with Qnostics, an arrangement we see as mutually beneficial. We look forward to working together to strengthen the molecular service we provide to our global markets whilst enhancing the Qnostic brand and market penetration.”
Dr Frank Opdam, Head of Commercial of Qnostics said;
“We believe this is an ideal partnership. We look forward to working with Randox Laboratories and the growth that will result from the global access this partnership will provide to Qnostics for its expanding range of molecular quality control products.”
For further information please contact the Randox PR Team: phone 028 9442 2413 or email randoxpr@randox.com
GPs are told to stop prescribing antibiotics for sore throats
Today, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence has published guidelines that state doctors should not prescribe precious antibiotics for most people with sore throats and should instead recommend drugs like paracetamol.
The guidelines from NICE and Public Health England, which aim to limit the use of antibiotics, said doctors should only be prescribing the medicines for more severe cases that are most likely to have been caused by a bacterial infection.
This is despite recent research that suggests antibiotics are prescribed in 60% of sore throat cases, for which doctors are unable to tell if the infection is viral or bacterial.
The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence said most sore throats were caused by viral infections, which cannot be treated by antibiotics.
At Randox, our pioneering R&D teams have developed a revolutionary swab test for respiratory infections which indicates the cause of the infection and whether a patient needs antibiotics or not. This helps to limit the number of patients who are prescribed antibiotics unnecessarily.
The Randox test, which can rapidly detect and identify the cause of 21 respiratory infections in just 5 hours, assists the clinician in prescribing the appropriate antibiotic.
John Lamont, Lead Scientist at Randox Laboratories, said;
“Current diagnostic testing for respiratory infections takes at least 36 hours to confirm the nature of an infection, and they cannot name and categorise infections as bacterial or viral in the way our new respiratory test can.”
This test, if widely adopted, could allow medical practitioners to make the correct treatment choice on the same day as examination and before patients have already begun a precautionary course of inefficient antibiotics. It would also have additional efficiency savings for the NHS, by eliminating the need for lengthy microbiology lab tests and unnecessarily prescribing drugs which are not needed.
This new rapid and accurate test will give clinicians confidence in their diagnosis of respiratory infections and will allow for quicker treatment if necessary, which benefits patient outcomes.
The test is also available as a Randox Health Cough, Cold & Flu offering, and can be carried out by booking an appointment with Randox Health at our clinics in Crumlin, Holywood or London, or by arranging the mobile clinic to visit you at your home or place of work.
Find out more about the Cough, Cold & Flu Respiratory test here.
Book an appointment with one of our clinics, or arrange the mobile clinic, by phoning 0800 2545 130 or by clicking here.
For further information please contact the Randox PR team by email: randoxpr@randox.com or phone 028 9442 2413
Evidence Investigator | Adaptable, Efficient & Comprehensive
The Evidence Investigator is a compact, semi-automated benchtop analyser that offers efficient and comprehensive testing across a range of applications including clinical diagnostics, molecular, research, toxicology and food diagnostics.
Renowned for its versatility, robustness and effective reporting methods, the Evidence Investigator has been used in a wide range of laboratory settings for over 15 years. This highly advanced yet simple to use analyser has only one moving part, giving the user peace of mind.
The Evidence Investigator contains a host of innovative on-board data analysis features ensuring manual processes are kept to a minimum.
By utilising the same multiplex technology as the other Evidence Series analysers, the Evidence Investigator can process up to 44 results from a single sample, with a maximum throughput of up to 2376 tests per hour. Offering efficiency without compromising on accuracy, the Evidence Investigator is the perfect fit for medium throughput laboratories seeking maximum use of bench space.
Accurate and Robust
Like all the Evidence Series analysers, what sets it apart is technology. The Evidence Investigator is extremely well equipped to provide reliable results, while simultaneously robust enough to withstand frequent, heavy use.
Results are generated using a Charge Coupled Device (CCD) camera, which quantifies chemiluminescent light. This light measures the degree of binding between the patient sample and specific biochip bound ligands, generating highly accurate and reliable results.
Consolidation
The Evidence Investigator is the world’s first platform allowing consolidation of immunoassay and molecular diagnostics. This is achieved through utilising protein and DNA based biochips. By giving the user the ability to consolidate tests, the Evidence Investigator improves laboratory efficiency and reduces costs.
Advanced Reporting
The Evidence Investigator image processing software translates light signal generated from chemiluminescent reactions into analyte concentration. This removes the need for any manual processing of data.
Previously unreported tests can also be retrieved, so they can be tested retrospectively. This saves time, labour costs and reduces any reagents wastage. All data is then analysed on-board, removing issues related to human error and result manipulation.
About the Randox Evidence Series
The Evidence Series is set to revolutionise diagnostic testing forever. Offering unrivalled capabilities across all analysers, we truly believe that the Evidence Series range of immunoassay analysers can meet your diagnostic testing capabilities.
For more information on the Evidence Investigator, or any of the Evidence Series analysers, visit https://www.randox.com/evidence-series/ or contact us evidenceseries@randox.com.
Molecular Diagnostics from Randox Biosciences
Our Randox Biosciences division is a trusted partner in supplying quality diagnostic solutions to the Clinical, Life Science, Pharmaceutical, Research and BioPharma industries.
Our molecular product range offers diagnostic, prognostic and predictive solutions across a variety of disease areas including sexually transmitted infections (STI), respiratory tract infection, colorectal cancer, familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
Additionally, we can provide a wide range of assay formats including single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) genotyping, pathogen detection and mutation detection. The arrays are optimised for use with the Randox Evidence Investigator semi-automated, medium throughput bench-top biochip analyser.
One test, 10 results.
Our STI multiplex array II simultaneously detects 10 bacterial, viral and protozoan infections including primary, secondary and asymptomatic co-infections for a complete infection profile. The assay is based on a combination of multiplex, PCR and biochip array hybridisation. Innovative PCR priming technology permits high discrimination between multiple targets. A unique primer set is designed for each target which will hybridise to a complimentary oligo-nucleotide probe spotted on a biochip discrete test region (DTR).
The combination of priming and spatially organised biochip array technology enables enhanced specificity of the assay. Analysis can be completed from template DNA through PCR to data readout in less than 6 hours. The array is validated for urine and swab sample matrices with up to 53 patient samples being processed simultaneously. The array is CE marked for routine clinical use.
Our STI Multiplex Array II includes tests for the following STIs;
Neisseria Gonnorrhoea (NG) Mycoplasma Genitalium (MG)
Ureaplasma Urealyticum (UU) Chlamydia Trachhomatis (CT)
Tricomonas Vaginalis (TV) Haemophilus Ducreyi (HD)
Mycoplasma Hominis (MH) Treponema Pallidum (TP)
Herpes Simplex virus I (HSV-1) Herpes Simplex Virus 2 (HSV-2)
Randox Biosciences also offer four additional Molecular arrays.
For more information on our Molecular arrays please contact us by sending an email to Info@randoxbiosciences.com
Evidence Series Immunoanalysers
Powered by Biochip Array Technology
In 2002, Randox invented a world first, Biochip Array Technology (BAT), instantly changing the landscape of diagnostic testing forever. BAT is a multi-analyte platform which provides an unrivaled increase in patient information per sample. Instead of a patient sample needing to be subdivided for each test result, or in some cases re-collected, Biochip Array Technology offers a diagnostic patient profile with each patient sample. So now the patient’s needs become the focus, as BAT delivers the multiple results needed for improved diagnosis.
With over £250 million invested into Biochip Array Technology research and development, Randox have launched a range of Biochip Array Technology immunoanalysers – The Evidence Series. This includes the Evidence, the Evidence Investigator and the Evidence MultiSTAT. Each analyser is developed with boundary pushing engineering, designed to make financial, labour and time savings for the end user. Utilising this technology, the Evidence series guarantees cost-effective, highly accurate and flexible testing solutions.
Click on the immunoanalysers below for more information
Evidence Investigator
Evidence MultiSTAT
Evidence
Why choose the Evidence Series?
Biochip Array Technology Test Menu
Adhesion Molecules
| E-Selectin | P-Selectin | L-Selectin | |
| Intercellular Adhesion Molecule-I – ICAM-I | Vascular Cell Adhesion Molecule-I –VCAM-I | ||
Alzheimer’s
| Apolipoprotein E4 –ApoE4 | Pan Apolipoprotein E – Apo E |
Anaemia
| Ferritin | Folate | Vitamin B12 |
Bone Disease
| Vitamin D | |||
Cancer
| Carcinoembryonic Antigen – CEA | Free Prostate Specific Antigen − FPSA | Total Prostate Specific Antigen − TPSA | |
Cardiac
| Cardiac Troponin I – cTnl | Creatine Kinase MB – CKMB | Heart Fatty Acid Binding Protein – H-FABP | Myoglobin |
Cerebral
| Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor − BDNF | Neuron Specific Enolase − NSE | ||
Cytokines
| Epidermal Growth Factor − EGF | Granulocyte Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor | Interferon-γ − IFN-γ | Interleukin-1 alpha − IL-1α |
| Interleukin-1 beta − IL-1β | Interleukin-2 − IL-2 | Interleukin-3 − IL-3 | Interleukin-4 − IL-4 |
| Interleukin-5 − IL 5 | Interleukin-6 − IL-6 | Interleukin-7 − IL-7 | Interleukin-8 − IL-8 |
| Interleukin-4 − IL-4 | Interleukin-5 − IL 5 | Interleukin-6 − IL-6 | Interleukin-7 − IL-7 |
| Interleukin-8 − IL-8 | Interleukin-10 − IL-10 | Interleukin-12p70 − IL-12p70 | Interleukin-13 − IL-13 |
| Interleukin-15 − IL 15 | Interleukin-23 − IL-23 | Macrophage Infl ammatory Protein-1α − MIP-1α | Matrix Metalloproteinase 9 − MMP 9 |
| Monocyte Chemotactic Protein-1 − MCP-1 | Soluble IL-2 Receptor Alpha − sIL-2Rα | Soluble IL-6 Receptor − sIL-6R | Soluble Tumour Necrosis Factor Receptor 1 − sTNFR1 |
| Soluble Tumour Necrosis Factor Receptor 2 − sTNFR2 | Tumour Necrosis Factor-α − TNF-α | Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor − VEGF | |
Diabetes
| Insulin | |||
Endocrine
| Cortisol | Dehydroepiandrosterone-Sulphate- DHEAS | ||
Fertility / Pregnancy
| Estradiol | Follicle Stimulating Hormone − FSH | Luteinizing Hormone − LH | Progesterone |
| Prolactin | Sex Hormone Binding Globulin − SHBG | Testosterone | |
Fibrinolysis
| D-Dimer |
Gastro
| Gastrin 17 – GI7 | Helicobacter pylori – H. pylori | Pepsinogen I – PGI | Pepsinogen II – PGII |
Metabolic
| Adiponectin | Ferritin | Insulin | Leptin |
| Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor − PAI-1 | Resistin |
Renal
| Adiponectin | Complement C3a des Arginine – C3a des Arg | CRP (C-Reactive Protein) | Cystatin C |
| D-Dimer | Epidermal Growth Factor − EGF | Fatty Acid Binding Protein-1 − FABP1 | Interleukin-8 − IL-8 |
| Macrophage Infl ammatory Protein-1α − MIP-1α | Neutrophil Gelatinase – Associated Lipocalin – NGAL | Soluble Tumour Necrosis Factor Receptor 1 − sTNFR1 | Soluble Tumour Necrosis Factor Receptor 2 − sTNFR2 |
Stroke
| Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor − BDNF | D-Dimer | Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein − GFAP | Glutathione S – Transferase Pi – GSTPi |
| Heart Fatty Acid Binding Protein – H-FABP | Interleukin-6 − IL-6 | Nucleoside Diphosphate Kinase – NDKA | Neuron Specifi c Enolase − NSE |
| Parkinson Protein 7 − PARK-7 | Soluble Tumour Necrosis Factor Receptor 1 − sTNFR1 | ||
Thyroid
| Anti-Thyroglobulin − Anti-Tg | Anti-Thyroid Peroxidase − Anti-TPO | Free Tri-iodothyronine − FT3 | Free Thyroxine − FT4 |
| Thyroid Stimulating Hormone − TSH | Thyroxine Binding Globulin − TBG | Total Tri-iodothyronine − TT3 | Total Thyroxine − TT4 |
Toxicology
| Amphetamine | Barbiturates | Benzodiazepines I | Benzodiazepines II |
| Buprenorphine | Cannabinoids – THC | Cocaine Metabolite | Dextromethorphan |
| Fentanyl | Ketamine | Meprobamate | Methadone |
| Opiate | Oxycodone I | Oxycodone II | Phencyclidine – PCP |
| Tramadol | Tricyclic Antidepressants | Zolpidem | |
Molecular
| 20 SNPs | Adenovirus A/B/C/D/E | APOB – 1 mutation | Bordetella pertussis |
| BRAF – 1 mutation | Chlamydia trachomatis – (CT) | Chlamydophila pneumoniae | Coronavirus 229E/NL63 |
| Coronavirus OC43/HKU1 | Enterovirus A/B/C | Haemophilus ducreyi – (HD) | Haemophilus influenzae |
| Herpes simplex Virus 1– (HSV-1) | Herpes simplex Virus 2 – (HSV-2) | Human Bocavirus 1/2/3 | Human Metapneumovirus – hMPV |
| Influenza A/B | KRAS – 16 mutations | LDLR – 38 mutations | Legionella pneumophila |
| Moraxella catarrhalis | Mycoplasma genitalium – (MG) | Mycoplasma hominis – (MH) | Mycoplasma pneumoniae |
| Neisseria gonorrhoea – (NG) | Parainfluenza Virus 1/2/3/4 | PCSK9 – 1 mutation | PIK3CA – 3 mutations |
| Respiratory Syncytial Virus a – RSVa | Respiratory Syncytial Virus b – RSVb | Rhinovirus A/B | Streptococcus pneumoniae |
| Treponema pallidum – (TP) | Trichomonas vaginalis – (TV) | Ureaplasma urealyticum – (UU) | |
Veterinary Residues / Food Diagnostics
| 17β-Clostebol | 5-hydroxy Flunixin | Aflatoxin B1 | Aflatoxin G1/G2 |
| Aflatoxin M1 | AHD | Amikacin/Kanamycin | Amino Benzimidazoles |
| Amoxicillin | AMOZ | Amphenicols | Ampicillin |
| AOZ | Apramycin | Avermectins | Bacitracin |
| Baquiloprim | Benzimidazoles | Beta-agonists | Beta-Lactams |
| Boldenone | Cefapirin | Cefoperazone | Cefquinome |
| Ceftiofur | Cefuroxime | Cephalexin | Cephalonium |
| Chloramphenicol | Chlormadinone | Clopidol | Cloxacillin |
| Corticosteroids | Dapsone | Decoquinate | Deoxynivalenol |
| Dexamethasone | Diacetoxyscirpenol | Diclazuril | Dicloxacillin |
| Dihydrostreptomycin | Ergot Alkaloids | Erythromycin | Ethinylestradiol |
| Fumonisins | Gentamicin | Gestagens | Halofugine |
| Hygromycin B | Imidocarb | Kanamycin | Lasalocid |
| Levamisole | Lincomycin | Lincosamides | MaduramicinG |
| Melamine | Meloxicam | Metamizole | Methyltestosterone |
| Monensin | Moxidectin (MXD) | Nandrolone | Neomycin/Paromomycin |
| Nicarbazin | Nitroimidazoles | Nitroxynil | Novobiocin |
| Ochratoxin A | Oxacillin | Paxilline | Penicillin G |
| Penicillin V | Phenylbutazone | Pirlimycin | Polymixins |
| Quinolones | Ractopamine | Rifaximin | Robenidine |
| Salinomycin | SEM | Spectinomycin | Spiramycin |
| Spiramycin/Josamycin | Stanozolol | Stilbenes | Streptomycin |
| Sulfaguanidine | Sulfamethazine | Sulphachlorpyridazine | Sulphadiazine |
| Sulphadimethoxine | Sulphadoxine | Sulphamerazine | Sulphamethazine |
| Sulphamethizole | Sulphamethoxazole | Sulphamethoxypyridazine | Sulphapyridine |
| Sulphaquinoxaline | Sulphathiazole | Sulphisoxazole | Sulphonamides |
| T2 toxin | Tetracyclines | Thiabendazole | Thiamphenicol |
| Tobramycin | Tolfenamic Acid | Toltrazuril | Trenbolone |
| Triclabendazole | Trimethoprim | Tylosin | Tylosin B/Tilmicosin |
| Virginiamycin | Virginiamycin M1 | Zearalenone | Zeranol |
World Antibiotic Awareness Week at Randox
The global crisis of antimicrobial resistance is never far from the headlines. As part of World Amicrobial Awareness Week, we’ve been discussing the dangers and importantly the work being done to combat this growing threat.
There’s a very simple reason why we must all do what we can to tackle AMR. This year it’s thought 700,000 people died from drug resistant illnesses such as bacterial infections, malaria, HIV/Aids or tuberculosis. Experts warn that by 2050, this figure will rise to 10million.
Randox’s aim is to revolutionise global healthcare and we are committed to combating the threat of antibiotic resistance. We have a number of tests on the market that can help the fight against AMR, strengthen consumer confidence and ensure quality and safety for a number of different industries. So to round off this week, we spoke to two of our experts at Randox: Business Development Manager, Dr Mary Jo Kurth, and Molecular Diagnostics Manager, Dr Martin Crockard.
70% GP’s have been reported to prescribe antibiotics when they don’t know whether the infection is caused by the virus or bacteria.
At the frontline of the battle to curb AMR are the GPs but they’re not able to access the latest technology which can help them. Dr Mary Jo Kurth said, “In the current GP setting, diagnostic testing to determine whether a respiratory infection is bacterial or viral is unavailable, and therefore doctors often have to guess – or feel pressurised into prescribing antibiotics because patients demand it. However antibiotics only work to treat bacterial infections and are useless in treating infections that are caused by viruses.
“The consequences are severe. Medical procedures like organ transplantation and cancer chemotherapy need antibiotics to prevent and treat the bacterial infections that can be caused by the treatment. Without effective antibiotics, even routine operations could become high risk procedures if serious infections can’t be treated. The hard won victories against infectious diseases of the last fifty years will be jeopardized.”
Our Biosciences division have developed a test that can rapidly detect and identify the cause of 22 respiratory infections, in both the upper and lower respiratory tract, and therefore subsequently determine if an antibiotic is required as well as then identify the most effective antibiotic to take. Additionally our Confidante kit – the world’s first over-the-counter home sexual health test – can detect ten of the most common STIs with one patient sample and deliver accurate and reliable results securely and discreetly within one week. This takes the guesswork out of antibiotic prescription and could go a long way in fighting the antibiotic resistance crisis.
Dr Martin Crockard said, “Identifying the specific cause of illnesses provides opportunities to tailor treatment, reducing antibiotic misuse. Not all infections respond to antibiotics, however a multiplex approach which identifies bacterial, viral or fungal pathogens encourages improved clinical decision-making, refining treatment, leading to enhanced patient care.
“The molecular group here at Randox are developing a range of multiplex infection detection arrays to identify specific infection agents, allowing more appropriate use of antibiotics to improve patient care and reduce the onset of antibiotic resistance.”
In addition to tackling AMR via medical settings, there is work that can be done to deal with it in our food. Randox Food Diagnostics offer a comprehensive range of diagnostic solutions to allow for the detection and quantification of antibiotic residues within animal and food products. With validation across a range of matrices Randox Food allows producers to ensure their products are free from antibiotic residues.
As consumer awareness develops so does the need for antibiotic screening within agriculture and food production. Guaranteeing an antibiotic-free product strengthens consumer confidence and ensures food integrity on a global scale. Randox Food offers the Evidence Investigator matched with biochip array technology to provide the end user with fast, reliable results to ensure antibiotic free produce.
The UK Government recently commissioned a two year review into the crisis. Led by Lord Jim O’Neill, the final report outlined a new system of ‘market entry rewards’ worth $1.6 billion to the successful developer of a new antibiotic, which meets a prospectively-defined criteria of ‘unmet need’. Developers of alternative therapies aimed at tackling areas where there is unmet need due to rising AMR would also be eligible for these rewards. Such rewards would be paid after a successful product comes to market.
Chief Medical Officer, Dame Sally Davies said, “Antimicrobial resistance poses a catastrophic threat. If we don’t act now, any one of us could go into hospital in 20 years for minor surgery and die because of an ordinary infection that can’t be treated by antibiotics. That’s why governments and organisations across the world, including the World Health Organization and G8, need to take this seriously.
“This is not just about government action. We need to encourage more innovation in the development of antibiotics – over the past two decades there has been a discovery void around antibiotics, meaning diseases have evolved faster than the drugs to treat them.”
AMR will not go away on its own. It requires complex and comprehensive action across many sectors.
If you are interested in finding out more information, please visit randox.com
