Randox Laboratories

Randox Laboratories
Founded 1982
Founder Peter FitzGerald
Headquarters United Kingdom
Revenue £95 million (2015)
£18 million (2015)
Website www.randox.com

Randox Laboratories is a company in the in vitro diagnostics industry, developing diagnostic solutions for hospitals, clinical, research and molecular labs, food testing, forensic toxicology, veterinary labs and life sciences. Randox develops, manufactures and markets diagnostic reagents and equipment for laboratory medicine, with a distribution network of 145 countries.[1][2]

Company profile

Randox was established in 1982 by its Managing Director, Dr Peter FitzGerald in Crumlin, and has since expanded globally.[3]

Randox manufactures more clinical diagnostic products than any other company in the world. It invests more than 16% of profits into R&D, and almost a quarter of its staff are research scientists and engineers. [4]

Following the development of Randox Health - the first public facing division - the company became the title sponsor of the Randox Health Grand National. Ex-jockey Sir Anthony McCoy is the main brand ambassador, along with Olympic sailor Matt McGovern and Featherweight Celtic, Irish, WBO European & Intercontinental Champion Marco McCullough.

Research and development

Beginning with a team of six employees, the company now has 1400 employees around the world. It is now moving into the Randox Science Park, a 45 acre R&D and manufacturing site housed on the former Massereene Barracks.

It has also recently invested €25m in developing a site in Dungloe, Donegal. Randox Teoranta aims to create more than 470 jobs in research, engineering and life sciences by 2020.

Randox's range of reagents covers many different techniques such as colorimetric, UV and immunoturbidimetric methods. As a result of heavy investment in R&D, Randox's portfolio has grown to provide a wider variety of reagents.

Randox has become a leading specialist in developing dedicated reagents to work on competitor systems, including Dimension and Hitachi.[5]

Products

Biochip array technology

Randox developed the world's first biochip array technology (BAT) in 2002. BAT is a multi-analyte testing platform which allows simultaneous quantitative or qualitative detection of a wide range of analytes from a single patient sample. It screens biological samples in a rapid, accurate and easy-to-use format.

£180 million was invested in research and development of BAT.

With the development of the biochip, analysers were created to handle the biochip in a high throughput routine laboratory. The analyser range expanded from the evidence, to include the evidence evolution, evidence investigator and evidence multistat.[6]

Clinical chemistry analysers

As well as producing 5% of the world's clinical chemistry products, the Randox range of clinical chemistry analysers, the RX Series, accommodates low- to high-throughput laboratories. The RX monza, RX daytona, RX daytona plus, RX imola, RX monaco and RX suzuka attempt to consolidate a laboratory's requirements onto one platform. The throughput of the range varies, with the RX monza having the capability of up to 10,000 tests per year and the RX suzuka having up to 1,000,000 tests per year.[7][8][9]

Quality control

Randox is the 3rd largest manufacturer of Quality Controls and Calibrators in the world. They specialise in third party controls that combine lots of analytes in a single control with the aim of consolidation. Covering over 390 parameters the Acusera branded portfolio of QC supplies 60,000 customers worldwide with QC material. Principle control products include Clinical Chemistry, Immunoassay, Urine, Cardiac and many more as well numerous other research based areas.[10]

Acusera 24.7 Live Online is an inter-laboratory data management programme, with the purpose of supporting the Acusera range of controls.[10][11]

RIQAS

Randox International Quality Assessment Scheme (RIQAS) is the external quality assessment (EQA) scheme supplied by Randox. RIQAS is the largest international EQA scheme with more than 35,000 laboratory participants in over 123 countries. There are currently 32 programmes available spanning most areas of clinical testing.[12]

The large number of participants using RIQAS ensures an extensive database for many analytical methods directly increasing statistical validity as a result. RIQAS helps maintain and improve analytical quality; improve inter-laboratory agreement; detect reagent and equipment problems; and compares different analytical methods. RIQAS is also ISO 13485 and UKAS accredited.[13][14]

Reagents

Randox offer more than 100 clinical biochemistry tests, covering testing panels such as antioxidants, basic and comprehensive metabolic profiles, cardiac, coagulation, diabetes, drugs of abuse testing, hepatic function, lipids, renal function, specific proteins, therapeutic drug monitoring and veterinary.

Furthermore, Randox re-invest significantly in research and development to develop unique tests such as sLDL, Lipoprotein(a), H-FABP, Cystatin C, TxBCardio, Adiponectin, Bile Acids, Copper, D-3- Hydroxybutyrate, G-6-PDH, Non-Esterified Fatty Acids, Total Antioxidant Status and Zinc.

Controversy

In February 2017, two Randox employees were arrested on suspicion of perverting the course of justice amid allegations of data tampering within Randox Testing Services, used by many Police Forces in England and Wales for forensic toxicology. Randox acquired this laboratory in Manchester from Trimega laboratories which went into administration in 2014.[15] As of November 2017, around 50 criminal prosecutions for driving offences had been dropped in what BBC home affairs correspondent, Danny Shaw, described as "the biggest forensic science scandal in the UK for decades".[16] Police forces have begun reviewing over 10,000 criminal cases that may be affected by the alleged data manipulation, including sexual and violent crimes.[17]

Notes and references

  1. ↑ 18 March 2011 – Foster announces 242 new jobs at Randox Laboratories | Northern Ireland Executive. Northernireland.gov.uk (18 March 2011).
  2. ↑ Proteome Sciences Licenses Stroke Biomarkers to Randox Archived 26 January 2013 at Archive.is. IVD Technology (5 April 2012).
  3. ↑ The Friday Interview – Peter Fitz-Gerald, Randox Laboratories – IDA Ireland Investment Promotion Agency Archived 31 March 2013 at the Wayback Machine.. Idaireland.com.
  4. ↑ Randox Laboratories: the future of healthcare – Personal Care Magazine. Pathologyinpractice.com.
  5. ↑ Diagnostic Reagents – Randox Laboratories. Randox.com.
  6. ↑ Randox Laboratories. Randox.com.
  7. ↑ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 3 April 2011. Retrieved 22 September 2009.
  8. ↑ Clinical Chemistry Analysers – RX series – Randox Laboratories. Randox.com.
  9. ↑ Randox Laboratories. Randox.com.
  10. 1 2 Interlaboratory Data Management – QC Software – Acusera 24.7 – Randox Laboratories Archived 28 July 2012 at the Wayback Machine.. Randox.com.
  11. ↑ Randox Laboratories. Randox.com.
  12. ↑ EQA schemes – RIQAS – Largest Global EQA Providers – Randox Laboratories. Randox.com.
  13. ↑ EQA/Proficiency Testing Scheme- EQA- Proficiency Testing Archived 28 December 2012 at the Wayback Machine.. RIQAS.
  14. ↑ http://www.ukas.org/AccredationOthers/schedules/0010Proficiency%20Testing%20Single.pdf
  15. ↑ "Randox expands toxicology service by buying Manchester lab". BBC News. 2014-05-01. Retrieved 2018-06-18.
  16. ↑ "Killer drug-drivers' conviction quash bid". BBC News. 2017-11-22. Retrieved 2018-01-27.
  17. ↑ Devlin, Hannah; Dodd, Vikram (2017-11-21). "Police review 10,000 cases in forensics data 'manipulation' inquiry". the Guardian. Retrieved 2018-01-27.
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