The Federal Drug Agency in the United States has issued fresh guidance on the impact of COVID-19 mutations on testing products. The guidance is intended to brief manufacturers on any implications of variants on the performance, usability or safety of testing products, whether antigen or antibody-based diagnostic tools. Product design considerations are included in the advice, along with ongoing monitoring suggestions regarding testing for COVID-19 during a time in which mutations are being picke...

RANDOX PROCESSES ITS 10 MILLIONTH COVID-19 TEST AND DETAILS INVESTMENT IN TESTING CAPACITY Randox Laboratories has confirmed that it has processed its 10 millionth sample for the UK’s COVID-19 National Testing Programme, making it the first Pillar 2 testing laboratory to achieve this milestone.  This achievement is based upon a £85 million investment since March 2020 in facilities and equipment at Randox’s laboratories in Northern Ireland.  As a key partner labor...

BIVDA calls for investment in diagnostics to help make Britain a science superpower BIVDA, the in-vitro diagnostics trade association, has called for an economic recovery based on developing the UK as a science superpower, with a policy focus on advanced manufacturing, research & innovation, and highly skilled jobs. In its submission to Rishi Sunak, the trade association identifies three priorities for investment in the Chancellor’s financial package next month; Investment in...

A new “high-risk” science agency designed to fund ground-breaking discoveries has been announced by Government. The Advanced Research & Invention Agency (ARIA) will support the efforts of researchers and innovators and enable the UK to cement its position “as a global science superpower”. £800m funding will be provided to the organisation over four years, and Government has signalled that it will have more legroom for failure “than is normal” while p...

HORIBA Medical Obtains CE Mark Certification for Microsemi CRP New Generation - Microsemi CRP LC-767G HORIBA Medical, specialists in automated in vitro diagnostic systems for haematology, haemostasis and clinical chemistry analysis, has obtained the CE Mark certification for its new generation of the Microsemi CRP haematology analyser, the Microsemi CRP LC-767G. This new generation analyser Microsemi CRP LC-767G is more compact and proposes enhanced software and network connectivity pr...

Revolutionise Your Pancreatic Elastase Testing with the New BÜHLMANN fPELA® turboFaecal pancreatic elastase testing can now be automated, providing flexible and random access application on most clinical chemistry platforms. The new fPELA® turbo from BÜHLMANN is ideal for use in laboratory environments for identification and monitoring of pancreatic insufficiency in patients. There is the added advantage that it utilises the same CALEX extraction device as the fCAL turbo assay,...

Healthcare academics have warned of a “tsunami” of work that faces primary care services in the aftermath of the pandemic. Pent-up demand threatens to overwhelm services and will need to be addressed by Government as part of its plan for healthcare to recover in the wake of the crisis, the experts say. Prof Martin Marshall, chair of the RCGP, praised the role of GPs in the UK’s vaccination campaign. Of the 15 million vaccinations offered to date, 75% have been administered at G...

The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a ‘bounce’ in the diagnostics manufacturing sector said a diagnostics-dedicated recruitment CEO. Ivor Campbell, chief executive of Snedden Campbell, a recruitment company working in the diagnostics sector, has observed a rise in the number of vacancies within the sector as companies expand and consolidate their operations. “In recent years, the UK diagnostic sector’s advantage has been the ability to fund new entrants into the point-of-car...

The sixth annual Life Science Competitiveness Indicators report has been published, comparing the UK’s performance in life sciences internationally to the end of 2019. The publication of the report had to be postponed due to the COVID-19 crisis, however the document confirms that the UK was one of the best locations for life sciences work across the globe in 2019. A quarter of a million people were employed in the sector during that year and it generated almost £81bn in annual turnov...

BIVDA comments on Life Science Competitiveness Report BIVDA has welcomed the publication of the Life Science Competitiveness Indicators 2020, a report that gives a comprehensive outline of the state of the UK life sciences sector covering research funding, import-export levels and investment, amongst other key indicators. Life sciences continue to be a crucial pillar of the UK economy generating almost £81bn annually and employing over 250,000 people. In terms of Government activ...