EKF Diagnostics (Entwicklung, Konstruktion und Fertigung) is a publicly listed Healthcare company founded 1990 in Barleben,

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and currently headquartered in

Cardiff Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...

Wales Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the Wales–England border, east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the ...

, UK. EKF Diagnostics specialises in the development, manufacture and distribution of

point of care Clinical point of care (POC) is the point in time when clinicians deliver healthcare products and services to patients at the time of care. Clinical documentation Clinical documentation is a record of the critical thinking and judgment of a health ...

analysers for

hemoglobin Hemoglobin (haemoglobin BrE) (from the Greek word αἷμα, ''haîma'' 'blood' + Latin ''globus'' 'ball, sphere' + ''-in'') (), abbreviated Hb or Hgb, is the iron-containing oxygen-transport metalloprotein present in red blood cells (erythrocyte ...

HbA1c Glycated hemoglobin, also known as HbA1c, glycohemoglobin, hemoglobin A1c, A1C, is a form of hemoglobin (Hb) that is chemically linked to a sugar. Most monosaccharides, including glucose, galactose and fructose, spontaneously (i.e. non-enzymatic ...

glucose Glucose is a simple sugar with the molecular formula . Glucose is overall the most abundant monosaccharide, a subcategory of carbohydrates. Glucose is mainly made by plants and most algae during photosynthesis from water and carbon dioxide, using ...

, lactate as well as a range of

clinical chemistry Clinical chemistry (also known as chemical pathology, clinical biochemistry or medical biochemistry) is the area of chemistry that is generally concerned with analysis of bodily fluids for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes. It is an applied ...

products and

biomarker In biomedical contexts, a biomarker, or biological marker, is a measurable indicator of some biological state or condition. Biomarkers are often measured and evaluated using blood, urine, or soft tissues to examine normal biological processes, ...

-based

ELISA The enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) (, ) is a commonly used analytical biochemistry assay, first described by Eva Engvall and Peter Perlmann in 1971. The assay uses a solid-phase type of enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to detect the presence ...

& rapid tests, a result of EKF Diagnostics' acquisition of Stanbio and Argutus Medical. EKF Diagnostics has nine sites in six countries and employs 295 people as of 31 December 2011.

History

EKF Diagnostics began as EKF-Diagnostic GmbH when it was founded in 1990 by Berthold Walter in Barleben near

Magdeburg Magdeburg (; nds, label=Low Saxon, Meideborg ) is the capital and second-largest city of the German state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is situated at the Elbe river. Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archdiocese of Magdebur ...

. Initially an engineering business, the company made a slow transition during the 1990s to a medical diagnostics company when they started developing analysers for

blood bank A blood bank is a center where blood gathered as a result of blood donation is stored and preserved for later use in blood transfusion. The term "blood bank" typically refers to a department of a hospital usually within a Clinical Pathology laborat ...

diabetes Diabetes, also known as diabetes mellitus, is a group of metabolic disorders characterized by a high blood sugar level ( hyperglycemia) over a prolonged period of time. Symptoms often include frequent urination, increased thirst and increased ap ...

and

sports medicine Sports medicine is a branch of medicine that deals with physical fitness and the treatment and prevention of injuries related to sports and exercise. Although most sports teams have employed team physicians for many years, it is only since the ...

markets as well as acquiring other companies in the field. 2010 was a year of major change for the company. EKF-Diagnostic GmbH was acquired by International Brand Licensing, a UK AIM-listed company which was soon renamed to EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc. EKF Diagnostics then began acquiring companies in the diagnostics field. Quotient Diagnostics based in

Walton-on-Thames Walton-on-Thames, locally known as Walton, is a market town on the south bank of the Thames in the Elmbridge borough of Surrey, England. Walton forms part of the Greater London built-up area, within the KT postcode and is served by a wide ran ...

Surrey Surrey () is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in South East England, bordering Greater London to the south west. Surrey has a large rural area, and several significant urban areas which form part of the Greater London Built-up Area. ...

was the first, it was acquired by EKF Diagnostics in October 2010 for £3.41 million. This acquisition added a range of diagnostic devices to aid the treatment and management of

and associated

chronic disease A chronic condition is a health condition or disease that is persistent or otherwise long-lasting in its effects or a disease that comes with time. The term ''chronic'' is often applied when the course of the disease lasts for more than three mo ...

to EKF Diagnostics' portfolio. Two months later EKF Diagnostics bought Argutus Medical for £2.2 million. The acquisition of Argutus Medical expanded EKF Diagnostics' product portfolio to include

-based diagnostic

& Rapid tests. In 2011, EKF Diagnostics acquired Stanbio Laboratory LP, a

medical devices A medical device is any device intended to be used for medical purposes. Significant potential for hazards are inherent when using a device for medical purposes and thus medical devices must be proved safe and effective with reasonable assura ...

distribution and manufacturing business based in

Boerne Boerne ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Kendall County, Texas, in the Texas Hill Country. Boerne is known for its German-Texan history, named in honor of German author and satirist Ludwig Börne by the German Founders of the town. The popu ...

Texas Texas (, ; Spanish language, Spanish: ''Texas'', ''Tejas'') is a state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. At 268,596 square miles (695,662 km2), and with more than 29.1 million residents in 2 ...

for US$25.5 million. Stanbio Life Sciences an

enzyme Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecules known as products. A ...

production company was also part of this acquisition.

Global operations

EKF Diagnostics has nine sites located in

, UK,

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populous ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a List of transcontinental countries, transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia, Northern Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the ...

and the US and employs 295 people as of 31 December 2011. Seven of these sites are involved in manufacture of the group's products while four of these sites are also involved in various R&D activities. EKF Diagnostics is headquartered in

while the Stanbio site in

is the administrative and sales hub for the U.S.A.

Subsidiaries

Argutus Medical

Argutus Medical based in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

started as the

division of Biotrin International. The biomarker division was then spun-out to become Argutus Medical before Biotrin was acquired by Italian diagnostic company DiaSorin S.p.A. in 2008. Argutus Medical became part of EKF Diagnostics in 2010 when it was acquired for £2.2 million. Argutus Medical brought a range of

& Rapid Tests to EKF Diagnostics' product portfolio. The test kits have particular use in

pharmaceutical research Pharmacy is the science and practice of discovering, producing, preparing, dispensing, reviewing and monitoring medications, aiming to ensure the safe, effective, and affordable use of medicines. It is a miscellaneous science as it links heal ...

. Argutus Medical is currently engaged in a number of

R&D programmes for

acute kidney injury Acute kidney injury (AKI), previously called acute renal failure (ARF), is a sudden decrease in kidney function that develops within 7 days, as shown by an increase in serum creatinine or a decrease in urine output, or both. Causes of AKI are cla ...

(

nephrotoxicity Nephrotoxicity is toxicity in the kidneys. It is a poisonous effect of some substances, both toxic chemicals and medications, on kidney function. There are various forms, and some drugs may affect kidney function in more than one way. Nephrotoxin ...

) and acute liver injury (

hepatotoxicity Hepatotoxicity (from ''hepatic toxicity'') implies chemical-driven liver damage. Drug-induced liver injury is a cause of acute and chronic liver disease caused specifically by medications and the most common reason for a drug to be withdrawn fro ...

) detection. Argutus Medical is also a member of a number of external programmes including SAFE-T IMI. In April 2013, Argutus Medical announced a change in name to EKF Diagnostics Ltd for consolidation and integration purposes.

Quotient Diagnostics

Quotient Diagnostics was founded in 2002 by David Chatterton as a spin-out company from Chelsea Technologies Group. Bought by EKF Diagnostics in 2010 for £3.41 million, the

based company are now the R&D and manufacturing base for EKF Diagnostics’

Glycated hemoglobin Glycated hemoglobin, also known as HbA1c, glycohemoglobin, hemoglobin A1c, A1C, is a form of hemoglobin (Hb) that is chemically linked to a sugar. Most monosaccharides, including glucose, galactose and fructose, spontaneously (i.e. non-enzymatic ...

(

) analysers which are based on a parented Boronate Fluorescence Quenching Technology.

is becoming a preferred method for monitoring

with the medical community. In 2011 the production facility was extended to 900 metres squared to meet customer demands.

Stanbio Laboratory

Stanbio Laboratory has been based in

since it was established in 1960. Stanbio was acquired by EKF Diagnostics in 2011 for US$25.5 million and adds a range of medical tests and diagnostic devices including clinical chemistry, pregnancy and point-of-care blood hemoglobin tests to EKF Diagnostics' product portfolio. The

site also acts as an administrative hub for EKF Diagnostics in the U.S.A. Stanbio also have a second site in

Elkhart, Indiana Elkhart ( ) is a city in Elkhart County, Indiana, United States. The city is located east of South Bend, Indiana, east of Chicago, Illinois, and north of Indianapolis, Indiana. Elkhart has the larger population of the two principal cities of th ...

which is an

industrial fermentation Industrial fermentation is the intentional use of fermentation in manufacturing products useful to humans. In addition to the mass production of fermented foods and drinks, industrial fermentation has widespread applications in chemical industry ...

plant producing

enzymes Enzymes () are proteins that act as biological catalysts by accelerating chemical reactions. The molecules upon which enzymes may act are called substrate (chemistry), substrates, and the enzyme converts the substrates into different molecule ...

for use internal use and for external clients.

References

{{Authority control Health care companies of the United Kingdom Companies listed on the Alternative Investment Market 1990 establishments in Germany Technology companies established in 1990