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The All-new Clinical Chemistry Analyser from Randox’s The RX series
Randox employee hosts bake sale in aid of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust
Randox employees enjoyed a bake sale yesterday at our headquarters in Crumlin. The bake sale was hosted by Randox employee Rachel Walls on behalf of her sister, Ursula McKenna, who will be running both the Dublin Marathon and Manchester half Marathon later this year in aid of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
Ursula McKenna has raised an impressive £3000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust and is set to continue her efforts in raising money for this great cause. Having run the London Marathon twice, with the last one completed on Sunday 24th April, her motivation stems from personal empathy of the condition;
‘Our cousin suffers from Cystic Fibrosis, and running a few marathons is easy compared to what he has to deal with on a daily basis’
Cystic Fibrosis is a genetic condition caused by a faulty gene that controls the movement of salt and water across the cell wall. This causes mucus to build up in the lungs and digestive tract, causing problems with breathing and digestion. An estimated 1 in 2,500 babies born in the UK have Cystic Fibrosis, with more than 2.5 million people in the UK carrying the faulty gene. Currently there is no cure for Cystic Fibrosis, however there are treatments to help manage the symptoms.
Ursula’s dedication to the cause is evident and this extends to her family through their help and support. The bake sale hosted by Rachel yesterday at Randox included scrumptious treats made by the family, and helped raise £308! In addition to hosting fundraising events, her brother also ran the New York Marathon in 2014 and will be joining Ursula in running the Dublin Marathon in October. Hoping to beat her previous completion times of 4:27 in her first marathon and 4:07 in her second marathon, Ursula aims to complete the Dublin Marathon in less than 4 hours. Good luck!
Grand National Sponsor Randox goes back to its roots with Point-to-Point Racing Event
Global healthcare company Randox, recently unveiled as the main sponsor for the Grand National under the banner of Randox Health, is committed to supporting local grass roots horse racing, as this weekend it hosts the Point-to-Point Steeplechases at Crumlin, County Antrim, in association with the Killultagh, Old Rock and Chichester Hunt.
Point-to-Points are now firmly established in national hunt racing, with several champion horses starting their careers on the Irish Point-to-Point circuit.
Following the Randox Point-to-Point 2014, Classic Place was sold to Gigginstown House Stud, owned by Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary, who we all know to be the owner of The Crabbie’s Grand National 2016 winner, Rule The World.
Last year multiple All Ireland Champion Derek O’Connor registered a double, partnering Ballycross to victory for Templepatrick trainer Colin McKeever and leading local owner Wilson Dennison, followed by Chosen Dream at the fifth. O’Connor also recorded a brace of winners having scored with Sister Saragh at the first and Frost at the fifth.
But don’t worry if you’re not a racing enthusiast – the Randox Point-to-Point is the perfect day out for all the family. The increasingly popular event will host a unique Artisan village, showcasing a variety of food, drink and crafts stalls including, homemade jams, chutneys and sauces, ceramics, handmade chocolate and jewellery, woollen knits, handmade tea towels and tote bags, cakes, photography and much more!
Randox Managing Director, Dr Peter FitzGerald, highlighted the company’s equestrian heritage and is looking forward to both this year’s Point-to-Point, and next year’s Grand National:
“We are pleased to host the Point-to-Point with the Killultagh, Old Rock and Chichester Hunt, where champions are made. As a global company with firm links to our local heritage, we are proud to be involved with grass roots equestrian sports, which are part of the local community and sports scene. This history of being involved in equestrian events has naturally progressed to our sponsorship of the Grand National, and is fitting with our ambition. We look forward to this year’s two day Point-to-Point – where we might spot a future Randox Health Grand National winner!”
The Randox Point-to-Point will take place on Friday 22nd and Saturday 23rd of April, at Largy Road in Crumlin. The first race on Friday 22nd of April will start at 4pm; on Saturday 23rd of April, the first race takes place at 2pm.
General admission is £5 per person, with free entry for children under the age of 16.
Admission via the Laurelbank, Largy Road Crumlin, BT29 4RN.
Craft stalls are provided by North Down Crafts Collective and The Prince’s Trust charity.
For more information on the Randox Point-to-Point, email events@randox.com
Randox named in The Sunday Times Profit Track 100 League Table
This week saw the publication of The Sunday Times Profit Track 100, and we are delighted to announce that Randox has been named at number 65 in the league table which ranks the 100 private UK companies with the fastest-growing profits over a three-year period.
Stuart Lisle, of BDO Accountants, featured Randox in his piece; ‘Innovation and trade make a good formula for expansion’, noting impressive findings that:
- Randox supplies 10% of the world’s cholesterol tests
- Our diagnostic products are used in 145 countries across the globe
Stuart Lisle commented;
“After outperforming most of our peers, Britain is entering a period of economic uncertainty: stock markets are volatile, growth in China is slowing, Europe’s recovery has stalled and, as the Bank of England governor Mark Carney noted in March, the possibility of Brexit is not helping. Our polling shows that 70% of mid-market companies think leaving the EU would make running their businesses harder but there are strong arguments on both sides of the debate.
Thankfully, while our politicians talk in Westminster, our mid-market companies are getting on with business, driving growth by innovating at home and trading overseas.
This year’s Profit Track 100 contains numerous examples. Just look at what Peter FitzGerald, founder of Randox Laboratories is achieving. From humble beginnings in his parents’ garden shed in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, he has developed the firm into one the supplies 10% of the world’s cholesterol tests as well as a range of other diagnostic instruments used in 145 countries…and it is one of 55 companies in this year’s Profit Track 100 that are growing by selling internationally.”
We would like to thank Stuart for recognising our success and innovation. We are extremely proud of how far the company has come – from humble beginnings over 34 years ago, to a company with more than 1400 employees of 44 nationalities, including 300 research scientists and engineers.
Dr Peter FitzGerald, Managing Director of Randox said:
“The growth that we have witnessed over the last 3 years principally enables us to further strengthen our infrastructure and increase the world leading research and development we are conducting – to achieve the earliest possible diagnosis of a very wide range of clinical conditions. We remain dedicated to saving lives and improving health worldwide, and reinvesting our profits helps ensure that we will realise our vision.”
The Profit Track 100 league table is compiled by Fast Track, the Oxford-based research and networking events firm.
Gestational Diabetes: The Third Kind
Year upon year, WHO (World Health Organisation) have set a date to raise awareness of various health issues from Food Safety, to Hypertension to Vector-Borne diseases. This year, WHO are setting their goals in raising awareness on Diabetes; those with family and friends affected and those diagnosed. The RX series take a closer look at a type of Diabetes we don’t often talk about to raise awareness for the #BeatDiabetes campaign by the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Diabetes is a life-long condition, featuring in the top 10 causes of death globally, responsible for approximately 1,497,371 deaths worldwide and 6,088 in the UK alone yearly. As a major non-communicable disease, diabetes claims on average around 8% of total health budgets in developed countries.
As many know, diabetes can come in 2 common forms: Types I Diabetes; where the pancreas does not produce insulin and Type II Diabetes; where the pancreas doesn’t produce enough insulin/the body’s cells do not react to insulin. Not very often, however, do we hear the term Gestational Diabetes.
Gestational Diabetes is a type of diabetes that affects pregnant women, usually in their third trimester. The good news is, the condition usually disappears soon after the baby is born, but what are the risks, how serious is it really and what are the chances you may find yourself dealing with the condition?
Pregnancy puts extra demands on the body, as it demands higher level of nutrition, and energy. Gestational Diabetes (GDM) occurs when the body can’t produce enough extra insulin to meet these demands.
The condition is surprisingly common, with 15% of all pregnancies resulting in the mother suffering from GDM. Whilst it only occurs in pregnancy; it is estimated that over 50% of women who have had gestational diabetes will go on to develop type II diabetes within 5-10 years of delivery which is a startling statistic.
A study carried out at JSS Medical College aimed to investigate the biochemical parameters that could be used to diagnose GDM. Levels of serum creatinine, uric acid and the albumin were studied in GDM patients and unaffected pregnant women to consider any correlation between these biochemical markers and certain clinical parameters. The RX daytona, a clinical chemistry analyser from Randox’s RX series range was used to analyse the samples. The conclusion was that biochemical parameters such as serum creatinine, uric acid and albumin, can help in predicting the early onset and progression of GDM.
The study also stated that early diagnosis was paramount as it could help in the proper treatment of gestational diabetes and its associated complications for mother and baby, thus helping to improve the quality of life of the GDM patients and their offspring.
There are measures women can take before and during pregnancy to prevent the likelihood of Gestational Diabetes occurring. One study shows that increasing fibre intake to 10g per day reduces the risk by 26%. Also, women who exercise before pregnancy have a lower risk of gestational diabetes, the more intense the exercise, the lower the risk. However, this doesn’t have to mean extremely strenuous exercise, anything as simple as walking at a brisk pace, rather than at a leisurely pace will reduce your risks.
This year on World Health Day, we urge you to share your stories and give support for those affected by diabetes and use the hashtag #BeatDiabetes to get involved with the conversation.
Randox offers high quality tests for the diagnosis of diabetes and the monitoring of its complications.
To find out more about the RX series range of clinical chemistry analysers and how we tackle Diabetes with accurate and early diagnosis, take a look at our brochures below.
Questions? Speak to the RX team: theRXseries@Randox.com
How does Randox contribute to science?
Last week marked British Science Week 2016, an annual campaign that aims to inspire innovation and celebrate science. To mark the occasion, thousands of events took place across the UK. Randox Laboratories got involved, celebrating the innovation of Randox scientists, and the complementary work of our teams, through a series of tweets and articles. Read on to find out more about our teams, and how we contribute to science!
What are the different divisions within Randox?
The Randox team encompasses our clinical chemistry teams Randox Reagents, Randox QC and the RX series of clinical chemistry analysers; our niche divisions including Randox Food Diagnostics, Randox Toxicology and Randox Biosciences; and, our service divisions including Randox Testing Services and Randox Health. The contribution each team has made to science is simply marvellous.
How do we contribute to science?
We contribute to the innovation of diagnostic technologies
At the forefront of the Randox success is our investment in R&D. Beginning our journey in 1982 with a small selection of reagents, our test menu now comprises of over 116 biomarkers. Today our reagents and QC products are used to ensure the accuracy of patient diagnosis across the world; even American astronauts use Randox reagents to test their antioxidant levels before going into space!
On par with this is our RX series range of clinical chemistry analysers. Launched in 2003, the RX daytona was the first in the range of flexible analysers; still in circulation, the RX daytona is currently used by GB athletes to ensure their health and wellbeing in the run up to Olympics 2016.
We are paving the way for personalised, preventative healthcare
From the creation of our revolutionary Biochip Array Technology (BAT) and launch of our first Biochip analyser in 2002, our thirst for innovation and creativity has continued to grow. Dedicated to advancing scientific discovery, drug development and diagnostics; the Randox Biosciences team pave the way to the future of healthcare with tailored solutions for clinical and research use.
From personalised healthcare to preventative healthcare, our succession to improving healthcare continues to expand; with our own Randox Health clinics we utilise our own innovative materials and technologies to provide private health care across the UK, soon to be the world with our acquisition of 10 new international clinics!
We are pioneers in the industry of drug and alcohol testing
As the first company to bring to market synthetic cannabinoids, Kratom and Bath Salts, Randox Toxicologists pioneer to strengthen 21st century drug testing. Sharing in this vision, the Randox Testing Services team recently helped the UK Home Office to shape the drug driving law that was passed in 2015; they created the tests needed to enforce the law. These tests can detect even the smallest amounts of illegal drugs in the body, and since then, drug drive arrests have soared by 800%.
And our innovation does not stop there!
Randox entered the realm of food and wine screening with the Randox Food Diagnostics team, a team of specialists who aim to improve the standards of global food safety with the development of superior screening solutions. Exported all over the world, our products, including dedicated kits for wine analysis, are utilised on such a large scale that our Randox Food Diagnostic scientists analyse enough wine to fill 40 Olympic swimming pools every year!
Maintaining the Randox goal to improve health worldwide is what motivates our R&D scientists, who work hard to help this be achieved!
What do Randox do to inspire others to enter a career in science?
Inspirational in itself is the success of Randox; founded in 1982 in Northern Ireland, it is now a global success with presence in over 145 countries. The company’s success is largely due to the determination of founder Dr Peter Fitzgerald. In fact, in 2010 Dr Peter Fitzgerald was appointed as CBE for services to business in Northern Ireland.
In addition to the company’s awe inspiring success, the Randox Careers team aspire to inspire, and attend careers fairs and presentations, along with Randox scientists and engineers, to share their experiences of working in the industry; most recently our ‘Women in STEM’ initiative has focused on encouraging women to enter careers in the areas of Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths.
To celebrate British Science Week 2016, we shared the story of two Randox scientists; read Michael Mullan’s interview ‘A day in the life of a Molecular Biologist’ or listen to Clinical Analyst Emmet Donnelly in our ‘Interview with a Randox R&D scientist’.
So what does the future hold for Randox?
As the future of science continues to prosper, so does the future of Randox! With the new Randox Science Park in the works, exciting developments in the areas of manufacturing, R&D, and healthcare awaits; accelerated development of products will be facilitated with further investment in R&D, and next generation medical diagnostics manufacturing. In addition a Transformative Healthcare Centre from the Randox Health division will also be included. Randox Science Park will advance our efforts of improving health worldwide!
Support World Kidney Day with Randox Renal Function Tests
World Kidney Day is a global campaign aimed at raising awareness of the importance of our kidneys to our overall health. It aims to reduce the frequency and impact of kidney disease and its associated health problems worldwide.
The main objectives of World Kidney Day are to educate all medical professionals about their key role in detecting and reducing the risk of Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), particularly in high risk populations, and to stress the important role of local and national health authorities in controlling the CKD epidemic. On World Kidney Day all governments are encouraged to take action and invest in further kidney screening.
World Kidney Day highlights the need for more accurate kidney function testing for better diagnosis and monitoring of kidney function to assist in the development of appropriate treatment plans. As such, Randox have invested in the development of more sensitive and specific renal function tests such as cystatin C, which may be requested if kidney function is found to be borderline using the more routinely run creatinine test. Doctors may request cystatin C to check for early kidney disease and/or to monitor known impairment over time.
Cystatin C is a particularly useful marker of renal function in patients where creatinine measurements are not suitable e.g. individuals who are obese, malnourished, have liver cirrhosis or reduced muscle mass. Importantly, unlike creatinine, cystatin C does not have a ‘blind area’ – up to 50% of renal function can be lost before significant creatinine elevation occurs. Cystatin C is extremely sensitive to very small changes in GFR and is therefore capable of detecting early stage kidney dysfunction.
Both World Kidney Day and Randox are working towards improving healthcare worldwide. With a comprehensive panel of high performance reagents, Randox are helping with the detection and characterisation of renal function problems. With early diagnosis it will be possible to keep kidney problems from getting worse, therefore lowering the number of those diagnosed with CKD worldwide.
If you are a clinician or lab interested in running renal function assays, Randox offers a large range of high quality routine and niche assays including: Cystatin C, Creatinine Enzymatic and Jaffe, Microalbumin, Urinary Protein, Urea, Sodium, Potassium, Albumin, Ammonia, β2- Microglobulin, Calcium, Chloride, Glucose, HbA1c, IgG, LDH, Magnesium, Phosphorus (Inorganic), and Uric Acid. These can be run on most automated biochemistry analysers.
For more information, download our Reagents Brochure or email reagents@randox.com.
Immunoturbidimetry vs nephelometry for protein detection
Immunoturbidimetry methods have become the main technique for performing protein tests. The transition from nephelometry has been cautious but is increasing as laboratories enjoy the comparability and flexibility of immunoturbidimetry.
Immunoturbidimetry and nephelometry both measure the turbidity of a sample to determine the level of an analyte. Upon addition of the assay reagent, antibodies and antigen cluster to form an immune complex that precipitates, increasing the turbidity of the sample. When light is passed through the reaction solution, some light is scattered by the sample, some light is absorbed by the sample and the rest passes through the sample.
Immunoturbidimetry measures the absorbance of the light by the sample, nephelometry measures the light scattered at a fixed angle. The level of analyte is determined by comparison with a calibrator of known concentration.
Immunoturbidimetry is ideal for the detection of proteins, where the analyte concentration is inversely proportional to the transmitted light signal. Historically nephelometry has been more sensitive than conventional immunoturbidimetry. In latex-enhanced immunoturbidimetry, inert microscopic particles enlarge the immune complexes, amplifying the reaction and significantly increasing the sensitivity of the reaction.
Nephelometers are dedicated analysers only capable of performing this type of assay. In addition, they are:
- slow
- have high consumable costs
- require highly trained personnel
Immunoturbidimetric tests are carried out on routine biochemistry analysers that are:
- versatile
- fast
- cost-effective
- offer longer reagent stability
- sensitive
The main advantage of nephelometry was its sensitivity; however latex-enhanced immunoturbidimetry has closed this gap. Immunoturbidimetric tests are an increasingly accepted alternative to nephelometry for specific protein assays, and studies have shown a close correlation between Randox immunoturbidimetric tests and nephelometry.
If you are interested in running your protein assays on a routine biochemistry analyser, Randox offers a large range of high quality routine and niche protein assays that can be run on most automated analysers, including: Alpha-I acid glycoprotein; alpha-I antitrypsin; anti-streptolysin O; apolipoprotein A-I; apolipoprotein A-II; apolipoprotein B; apolipoprotein C-II; apolipoprotein C-III; apolipoprotein E; ceruloplasmin; complement C3; complement C4; CRP; cystatin C; ferritin; haptoglobin; HbA1c; IgA; IgE; IgG; IgM; lipoprotein (a); microalbumin; myoglobin; rheumatoid factor; transferrin and transthyretin (prealbumin). For more information, download our Reagents Brochure or email: reagents@randox.com.
Randox Manufacturing Teams celebrate success at Annual Manufacturing Awards Dinner
On Friday 26th February, over 100 staff from 18 manufacturing departments of Randox gathered together at The Templeton Hotel in Templepatrick, to connect with colleagues, celebrate the success of Randox Manufacturing, and enjoy a delicious meal, at the annual Randox Manufacturing Awards Dinner.
David Martin, Senior Manager Manufacturing began the evening with his opening address, and thanked all attendees for their hard work;
“Each year our manufacturing department grows in strength and this is thanks to the people working in it. I am proud to be standing here to recognise our collective capabilities as a team and to celebrate our hard work – with good food and great company.”
Manufacturing Lean Co-Ordinator, Mark Campbell, then shared an overview of the year’s manufacturing successes, and looked forward to the activities for the year ahead.
On the night, Department of the year 2015 was awarded to the Auto Dispense team, and Zuzana Crossan from the Packing Department won Employee of the Year 2015.
David closed the night by congratulating Zuzana, and the Auto Dispense team;
“I’d like to take this opportunity to congratulate our award winners this evening – the Auto Dispense team and Zuzana Crossan – and to thank you all for the important part you play in making Randox a global leader in the diagnostics industry – manufacturing our products that we distribute all over the globe. Let’s look forward to an exciting and prosperous 2016 together, and I hope you enjoy the evening!”
Local Crumlin community enjoy annual Farmers’ Breakfast at Randox
This weekend marked one of the highlights of the Randox Events Calendar – the annual Farmer’s Breakfast, which took place on Saturday 20th February.
Local farmers, friends and neighbours arrived to share a delicious breakfast together in the Randox headquarters in Crumlin.
Dr. Peter FitzGerald, Managing Director of Randox Laboratories, commented;
“Our Farmers’ Breakfast is enjoyed every year by members of the local farming community, and this year was no exception. Old friendships were rekindled, and new ones made, as we all enjoyed a hearty breakfast from our headquarters in the beautiful Crumlin countryside. I would like to thank everyone who attended on Saturday, and hope that you enjoyed the morning as much as we did. Same time, same place next year!”
