Firms put North on world stage

Nov 11 2009 by Andrew Mernin, The Journal

WHILE the region’s life science research centres such as our universities have a well-established reputation across the world, the commercial side of the sector in the North East remains relatively fledgling.

However, there is an ever-increasing band of life science firms which have played their part in gradually establishing the North East on the global stage.

Here we look at those businesses which have taken an idea from the lab into the international market.

IDS

Earlier this year, medical test kit maker IDS announced plans to distribute its new automated machine to more than 1,000 facilities around the world.

The South Tyneside company saw a 7% rise in pretax profits to £4.8m in the year ending March 2009, as sales soared to £24.9m.

The business, which employs 86 people in Boldon, has seen its testing kits for vitamin D – which is becoming increasingly relied upon as a marker of bone health and wellbeing – play a major role in its global success.

As the medical community becomes more aware that a vitamin D deficiency can signal the onset of numerous serious diseases, including colon, breast and prostate cancer, the demand for IDS products grows.

IDS enjoys success in a number of overseas markets and is expecting its automated machine to help this to continue.

HART BIOLOGICALS

Hartlepool’s Hart Biologicals has teamed up with a German firm as it looks to help save lives all over the world with a system which aids the treatment of people who are bleeding uncontrollably.

Hart and German firm Pentapharm GmbH are vying to make their ROTEM thromboelastometry system available to operating theatres all over the world after enjoying initial success in Asia and Europe.

Pentapharm manufactures the hardware while Hart provides chemical substances, known as re-agents, for the system which is already in use in British military medical units in Afghanistan.

The technology can save crucial time, costs and the level of blood stock used to treat a patient by monitoring their blood clotting capabilities, allowing doctors to act accordingly.

Following an Asian trade visit to the Far East by Hart’s managing director Alby Pattison, the technology has proved popular in Indonesia and Thailand – which suffers from a relatively high level of motorcycle accidents.

As well as being rolled out across Europe, talks are also under way to take the system into the US market.

BIOSIGNATURES

It may be early days for Newcastle- based Biosignatures, but its global potential could be huge.

The company aims to revolutionise the way sufferers of cancer are diagnosed and treated and recently won its first commercial deal.

The firm is in the process of developing a test to help doctors decide if a particular drug will benefit individuals suffering from cancer.

Current tests to see if certain cancers are present in the body often involve invasive surgery while Biosignatures believes its system, involving a pin-prick blood test, could avoid the damage caused by surgery and increase survival rates.

Scientists at the firm aim to help doctors decide if a cancer drug can work for a patient, potentially saving the NHS millions of pounds a year and giving new hope to thousands of cancer sufferers.

COMPLEMENT GENOMICS

One of the many negative outcomes of the credit crunch – according to analysts with too much time on their hands – was a surge in the number of marriages breaking up.

Financial worries led to domestic disputes, which in turn put extra strain on many couples’ relationships.

However, this unfortunate trend did lead to a boom for one North East scientist.

Louise Allcroft, who runs Sunderland-based DNA testing firm Complement Genomics, experienced soaring demand for her paternity testing service since the start of the year.

The company is licensed to take on court-directed testing on behalf of lawyers and the result of a paternity test is usually at the centre of a marital dispute or divorce proceedings.