Randox would like to Congratulate Eileen Nixon on her Retirement
Randox would like to Congratulate Eileen Nixon on her Retirement
Randox would like to congratulate Eileen Nixon on her retirement!
Eileen has been a valuable member of Randox for 32 years beginning her career here in November 1990. She describes how remarkable the growth of Randox has been. From a smaller scale business back in 1990 to now the largest diagnostics company from the UK.
On Thursday morning, we celebrated Eileen’s achievements and fond memories during her time in our Manufacturing Division, within the Packing Team. The room was filled with Eileen’s colleagues, many of whom had worked with Eileen for well over 20 years. Eileen has been a great member of the Randox team and will be sorely missed.
We wish Eileen good health and every happiness for her retirement.
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Randox collaborate with Verv Technologies to Improve Health for All
Randox Laboratories, the largest diagnostics company from the UK, are proud to announce a $3.8m CAD seed round with Verv Technologies.
Randox Laboratories are the lead investor for Verv Technologies, who are focused on creating the first of its kind consumer-oriented, affordable, high-quality blood chemistry analyser with disposable tests for home use, that will help individuals measure a wide range of analytes (i.e., cholesterol, vitamin levels, hormones). With over 40 years of diagnostic experience, Randox Laboratories are focused on investment into technologies to improve health for all.
Dr. Peter Fitzgerald, Managing Director of Randox Laboratories shared, “Randox has a global lens on the development of new technologies. We have a shared vision and belief in Verv’s unique, highly differentiated microfluidics approach to creating scalable, high-quality, low-cost blood testing technology for healthcare consumers. We anticipate a great journey ahead, in partnership with Verv.
Jeff Sutton, Founder and President of Verv Technologies describes, “We are thrilled to have Randox as a major investor in Verv to help propel us to commercial readiness and the opportunity to work with the original Founder and Managing Director of Randox, Dr. Peter Fitzgerald, who will join Verv’s Board of Directors. We aim to create great value for health-conscious consumers.”
Randox and Verve share a commitment to transform testing on a global scale for the benefit of healthcare consumers.
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Randox Professor of Medicine: Ulster University Announces Creation of New Role at Brand New School of Medicine
Wednesday 23 June 2021
Ulster University Announces Creation of New Role at Brand New School of Medicine: the Randox Professor of Medicine
Ulster University has received £1.2million in funding for medical education and research from Randox Laboratories Ltd. Thanks to this generous donation from Randox Laboratories, the University is creating its first Professor of Medicine post, to be titled, the Randox Professor of Medicine.
This will be a clinical and academic post so the appointee to the Randox Professorship will provide educational leadership, teaching and training thus inspiring the next generation of doctors and researchers in the area.
Alongside education, the post holder will develop a research portfolio in line with the research strategy of the School of Medicine and ambitions included in the Health Research Institute-THRIVE (HRI-THRIVE) Project as part of the Derry and Strabane City Deal.
The successful appointee to the Randox Professorship will have an outstanding track-record in medical research with the experience, vision and enthusiasm to build on current strengths in the University and develop a leading research presence in the School of Medicine.
The Randox Professor will be part of a vibrant and intellectually stimulating translational research community both within the School of Medicine and C-TRIC and will have access to the leading research facilities which the University offers. They will have the opportunity to collaborate with existing researchers in personalised medicine and influence the research and innovation direction of the proposed THRIVE Research Units that currently include: Blood Cancer; Cardiovascular Research and Improvement Science; Neuromuscular Health (Motor Neuron Disease, MS, Parkinson’s Disease); Brain Health (Depression, psychosis, Alzheimer’s Disease); Orthopaedic and Rheumatic Health; and Multiple Long-term Conditions.
The Randox professor will deliver clinical care within the Western Trust, contributing directly to patient care and improving health outcomes for our local community.
Dr Catherine McDonnell, Medical Director at the Western Trust, is excited at the new appointment:
“This is a unique opportunity, and shows what can be achieved with collaborative working and by forging partnerships between organisations.
“The Randox Professorship will play a crucial role in the delivery of patient care in the months and years ahead, and will help us bring in fresh expertise to what is already a very strong team on the ground.
“We would like to thank both Ulster University and Randox Laboratories for partnering in this exciting venture, which we believe will have a very positive impact on our patients and the Western Trust overall.”
Pictured left to right are Dr Peter FitzGerald, Managing Director, Randox Laboratories, and Professor Paul Bartholomew, Vice-Chancellor at Ulster University
The post will report into the Foundation Dean of the School of Medicine and recruitment will commence in the coming weeks.
The role will be supported by Randox Laboratories for a period of 5 years.
Dr Peter FitzGerald, Managing Director, Randox Laboratories said:
“At this time of rapid and significant change within medicine, it is imperative that industry, academia and medical education are aligned to improve both patient outcomes and the efficiency of healthcare services. The announcement of the new post of Randox Professor of Medicine within the new Ulster University School of Medicine shows our commitment to these critical national priorities. Ulster University and Randox are both renowned globally for healthcare research and education, particularly in the field of diagnostics, and together provide a vital platform to support the next generation of aspirational clinicians – to develop critical skills, make a positive difference to patient healthcare around the world, and cement Northern Ireland’s reputation as a global hub for life sciences.”
Professor Paul Bartholomew, Vice-Chancellor at Ulster University added:
“By opening the School of Medicine in August we are committing to address the acute shortage of doctors in Northern Ireland and to recruit students and staff who will be locally focused yet globally ambitious. The appointment of the Randox Professor of Medicine will enable us to further this ambition and allow us to enhance the University’s existing expertise and research excellence in personalised medicine diagnostics and contribute to expanding the medical diagnostics sector. With the strong emphasis on personalised medicine in the Derry and Strabane City Deal, the Randox Professor of Medicine will join us at an exciting time for the region.
“The University sees the ground breaking Randox Professorship as an opportunity to further our long standing partnership with Randox so that we might together have a unique opportunity to support clinical medicine, enhance the quality of patient care through highly relevant translational research and inspire the next generation of doctors.”
Professor Louise Dubras, Foundation Dean, School of Medicine at Ulster University, added:
“As we look forward to our first students arriving in August this year, we are excited to be progressing this role, the first of our “second wave”, to complement the exceptional staff team in place to deliver the first year of the programme. This is a unique and exciting opportunity for an inspirational academic clinical leader to shape the direction of clinical and translational research within the School of Medicine. I’m looking for an outstanding candidate with a wealth of teaching experience and a passion for related research which will inform teaching. This candidate will join me and the incredible team we have put together to teach the doctors of the future.”
For press enquiries please contact Amy Millar in the Randox PR team on amy.millar@randox.com or 028 9442 2413
Want to know more?
Contact us or visit Ulster University.
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Randox celebrate British Science Week 2018
The theme this year for British Science Week is exploration & discovery. Randox Laboratories was established in 1982 with the aim to revolutionise healthcare through continuously improving diagnostic solutions as diagnostics are vital to improving healthcare and disease diagnosis. To achieve this, 28% of the total annual revenue is reinvested in R&D.
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The RX series have analyser placements in over 120 countries worldwide
5th largest manufacturer of clinical chemistry reagents in the world.
3rd largest manufacturer of QC and calibrators globally, supplying to 60,000 labs worldwide.
Largest international EQA scheme, with more than 45,000 lab participants in 133 countries.
Patient care is the primary focus of clinical chemistry testing and Randox has developed the RX series of clinical chemistry analysers for high quality semi-automated and fully automated testing. The RX series combines robust hardware and intuitive software with the world leading RX series test menu, including routine chemistries, specific proteins, lipids, therapeutic drugs, drugs of abuse, antioxidants and diabetes testing.
Renowned for quality and reliability, the RX series has one of the most extensive dedicated clinical chemistry test menus on the market guaranteeing real cost savings through consolidation of routine and specialised tests onto a single platform. This extensive dedicated test menu of high quality reagents guarantees excellence in patient care ensuring unrivalled precision and accuracy reducing costly test re-runs or misdiagnosis and offering complete confidence in results.
The RX series offers both semi-automated and fully automated clinical chemistry analysers to suit your laboratory needs. Choose from the RX misano, RX monaco, RX daytona+, RX imola and RX modena to start your journey with the RX series today.
The market-leading reagents portfolio from Randox is internationally recognised as being of the highest quality, offering rapid and reliable results. With 118 assays, covering over 100 disease markers, Randox offers the most comprehensive product portfolio in the diagnostic market incorporating antioxidants, cardiology, diabetes, drugs of abuse, hepatic function, lipids, renal function, specific proteins, therapeutic drug monitoring and veterinary testing. Randox assays are available in a wide range of formats and methods providing greater flexibility and choice for your laboratory. In addition to flexible pack sizes, a comprehensive list of 13,000 applications for 195 clinical chemistry analysers can be provided as dedicated reagent packs (Easy Read & Easy Fit Reagents).
Through continued exploration to expand the clinical test panels, Randox discovered numerous high performing and unique tests. These tests are either unique to Randox or offer a superior methodology for more accurate results. Such tests include:
– Adiponectin is a protein hormone secreted by adipocytes which has an important role in a number of metabolic processes. Adiponectin is a diabetes biomarker as adiponectin levels are inversely correlated with abdominal visceral fat (AVF) levels, which has proven to be a strong predictor of several pathologies including metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), some cancers and cardiovascular disease (CVD).
– Cystatin C is a small cysteine proteinase inhibitor that is produced at a constant rate by all nucleated cells. Cystatin C is a more sensitive marker of renal function than creatinine as up to 50% of renal function can be lost before significant creatinine levels become detectable. Cystatin C is also useful in patients where creatinine measurements are inconclusive or unreliable, such as patients who are obese, malnourished, have liver cirrhosis or reduced muscle mass.
– 5th Generation Bile Acids is a highly sensitive marker of hepatic function, enabling the early detection of liver disease. The Randox 5th Generation Bile Acids assay utilises an advanced enzyme cycling method which displays outstanding sensitivity and precision when compared to traditional enzymatic based tests.
The Randox High Performance and Unique Tests brochure can be downloaded here for further information.
As the aim of British Science Week 2018 is to inspire innovation and celebrate science, Randox Quality Control are celebrating the fact that we have evolved into one of the principal manufacturers of quality controls and calibrators in the world. With approximately 70% of clinical decisions based on laboratory test results, it is clear to see the significant role laboratory testing plays. Our extensive range of Acusera Controls help labs to find and correct flaws in their analytical processes before potentially incorrect patient results are released, ultimately helping to improve health worldwide.
With more than 390 analytes available across the range, labs can significantly reduce costs without compromising on quality. We specialise in consolidation, our range of multi-analyte controls is designed to cover your test menu, ultimately reducing costs, preparation and storage space for any lab.
Manufactured independently, our third-party range of controls delivers unbiased performance assessment with any instrument or method, furthermore our commutable materials are designed to mimic the patient sample and ensures accurate and reliable test results. Designed to complement our range of third party controls the Acusera 24•7 software is the only peer group program to offer automatic calculation of measurement uncertainty helping laboratories to meet ISO 15189 requirements. Peer group statistics are also uniquely updated live, in real-time giving you access to the most up-to-date information possible enabling rapid and effective troubleshooting.
As the largest EQA scheme in the world, RIQAS (Randox International Quality Assessment Scheme) is used by more than 45,000 laboratory participants in 133 countries worldwide. Comprising 33 programmes a wide range of clinical testing is covered. Each RIQAS programme delivers high quality samples spanning clinically relevant levels to allow identification of concentration related biases; our frequent, user-friendly reporting enables early identification of system errors and our report turnaround time of less than 72 hours from the submission deadline, ensures corrective action can be implemented earlier, reducing costly errors with patient results.
Diagnostics is the key enabler to improve healthcare, patient outcomes and reduce the burden on healthcare; 80% of all medical decisions are based on diagnostic tests. In 1982, we had meagre resources, but we felt we could develop and manufacture world class diagnostic tests. Through continuously improving diagnostic solutions through exploration and discovery, Randox are a world leading manufacturer of diagnostic solutions.
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Give the Gift of Health this Christmas with Randox Health
Showing you care comes in many different packages.
This year, you can give the ‘gift of health’ to someone you love, through a Randox Health Gift Card.
Randox Health has the most comprehensive health screening programmes in the world, as well as a wide range of specialised tests. The Everyman, Everywoman and Signature programmes carry out up to 350 tests. That means your results deliver a complete understanding of your health: your heart, kidneys, thyroid, fertility, bones and more. And it doesn’t just tell you how you are now, but helps you to manage your health for the future.
Each one of our programmes lasts for twelve months and include personalised health plans, a private consultation with an expert and repeat testing. This unique aspect enables you to see exactly what impact you’re making on your health as you follow our recommendations.
Specialised testing is also available on areas including cardiac health, coeliac autoimmune disease, hormonal health and genetic testing.
The programmes are available at our clinics in London, Holywood and Crumlin, and also through our innovative mobile health clinic. Gift cards can be purchased from as little as £20.
To find out more and purchase the most thoughtful of Christmas presents – a gift card for the ‘gift of health’ – click here.
To book a health screening at a Randox Health clinic in Crumlin, Holywood or London, please call 0800 2545 130.
For further information please contact the Randox PR Team by emailing randoxpr@randox.com or phoning 028 9442 2413
Randox and partners announce opening of £7m Advanced Biomedical Devices laboratory
Randox Laboratories is pleased to announce the opening of a state-of-the-art Advanced Biomedical Engineering Laboratory today, the result of an innovative partnership with some of Northern Ireland’s leading business and education stakeholders.
The strategic collaboration with Invest Northern Ireland, Ulster University and Heartsine Technologies to develop the £7 million laboratory aims to transform the future of healthcare. The lab, which is based at Ulster University, will offer expertise and state of the art equipment to assist companies to develop prototypes for the biomedical, engineering, electronic device and aerospace sectors.
Welcoming the new lab, Dr Peter FitzGerald from Randox Laboratories said: “As one of the UK’s leading life sciences companies, we are delighted to be a partner in this innovative collaboration and to promote Northern Ireland as a global life sciences hub. We believe the greatest improvements to patients’ lives are possible through the continuous development of new technologies.
“This unique laboratory will facilitate that, as it will allow the rapid development of test prototype devices and also assist us to expand our unique range of high-calibre analyser systems.”
Tracey Meharg, Invest NI’s Executive Director of Business Solutions said: “The new Bio Devices Lab is a welcome and exciting development for Northern Ireland’s Health & Life Sciences sector. The facility will open up opportunities for stronger innovation by hosting a suite of equipment which will allow companies to quickly develop prototypes and medical devices for testing.
“It is a great example of how partnerships between government, industry and academia can enhance Northern Ireland as a knowledge economy and boost the credibility and visibility of Northern Ireland as a global leader in connected health.”
Prof Jim McLaughlin from Ulster University said: “Developing technology platforms to help translate our world class science and discovery to a device format as promptly as possible is essential for the very best design and performance.
“In healthcare technology, Ulster University leads the way in the development of new patient monitoring systems, stimulation devices, wearable solutions and diagnostic sensing.
“The lab will enable our researchers to develop the strong leadership and innovation skills so critical to future industry growth, working in collaboration with our industry partners.”
The total investment is £7.4m. Invest NI has offered assistance of £3.7m through a Grant for R&D, with Ulster University contributing £2.9m and £716,000 invested through industry collaborations with Randox Laboratories and Heartsine Technologies. Invest NI’s R&D support is part funded by ERDF under the EU Investment for Growth and Jobs Programme 2014-2020.
Celebrating the opening of the Advanced Biomedical Engineering Laboratory are (from left) Professor Brian Meenan, Ulster University; Tracy Meharg, Invest NI; Professor Jim McLaughlin, Ulster University; and Stuart McGregor, Randox Laboratories
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Randox supports calls from Oxford University for more accurate diagnosis of diabetes following report warning
Calls for more accurate diagnosis of people at risk of developing Type-2 diabetes have been supported by Randox, following a warning raised by an Oxford University study which looked into efforts to tackle the worsening epidemic of the condition.
The study, which was published in the British Medical Journal, examined results from the NHS’s programme which involves a screening test for pre-diabetes. The authors determined that the UK’s National Diabetes Prevention Programme is unlikely to have much impact because the blood tests used were inaccurate at detecting pre-diabetes, though these are currently the only ones available to doctors and patients. The study argues that if the screening is inaccurate then people will either be falsely reassured or receive incorrect diagnoses, which will not help the worldwide challenge to reduce people at risk of developing diabetes that continues to increase across the world.
It is estimated that Type-2 diabetes causes 22,000 early deaths every year in England alone. Across the UK over 3m people currently have the condition though experts say this will increase to 5m by 2025.
With current treatment taking up almost 9% of the annual NHS budget – roughly £8.8bn a year – the implications for future healthcare budgets are clear if this dangerous trend persists.
Global reagents Manger Susan Hammond said,
“Although we wholly back the NHS’s belief that positive lifestyle changes make crucial differences in people’s health and lives, we also believe that unless earlier and more accurate diagnostic screening is employed on a twin-track of treatment, this epidemic will continue to worsen. We welcome that this study highlights the fact that clinician’s s are currently limited in what they can use to tackle the threat posed by diabetes. There are emerging biomarkers they could be given access to, such as Adiponectin and determining a person’s risk of Metabolic Syndrome.”
Assessing Adiponectin levels allows doctors to calculate the amount of visceral fat stored around a patient’s organs. This deep fat, which is not visible to the naked eye, is linked to health problems including Type-2 diabetes. High levels of adiponectin equate to low levels of visceral fat which can be combated by improving your diet, exercise habits and even stress levels. Given that 70% of Type-2 diabetes can be prevented by lifestyle changes, there is strong correlation that by detecting low levels of Adiponectin and taking corrective and preventive action, it could results in a decrease in the numbers of people who develop the life altering condition.
In addition to a test for the Adiponectin biomarker, Randox Biosciences have created a Metabolic Syndrome Array that measures 12 markers associated with metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease. Metabolic Syndrome is a is a group of cardiovascular risk factors that affects over 20% of adults and results in a person being three times more likely to have a stroke or heart attack, and five times more likely to develop diabetes.
Mrs Hammond concluded,
“We would ultimately like to see all medical professionals who are at the forefront of patient care armed with the most accurate diagnostic tools available. Updating traditional practice may not be easy but we believe it is imperative to do so, if we are to effectively challenge this global epidemic.”
Randox remains focused on providing early diagnoses and preventing illnesses by providing innovative diagnostics tests that will continue to revolutionise the healthcare landscape.
To find out more about our tests for metabolic arrays click here and Adiponectin click here.
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
