The EKF range of analysers is unique in their ease of use, accuracy and portability which is why we are a trusted brand in GP surgeries, pharmacies, blood banks, sports clinics, hospitals and laboratories for the measurement of glucose, lactate, hemoglobin, hematocrit and HbA1c.

EKF Diagnostics products' reputation for quality, accuracy and ease of use stems from our beginnings as a technology business founded in Barleben in Germany in 1990. In the following years we have invested in developing a portfolio of analysers and consumables for the near patient care sector that deliver laboratory accuracy and reliability without the high costs and maintenance associated with lab devices.

In 2010 EKF Diagnostics acquired HbA1c developer Quotient Diagnostics based in Walton-on-Thames, UK and Argutus Medical in Dublin, a specialist research and distribution company engaged in kidney and liver diagnostics. The following year the company expanded further through the acquisition of Stanbio Laboratory, a manufacturer and distrubutor of diagnostic products with a worldwide customer base.

Today EKF Diagnostics has distributors in more than 70 locations around the globe, multi-national research and manufacturing facilities, teams of experienced analysts and engineers in Germany, Ireland, USA and the UK and a board led by some of foremost authorities in medical diagnostics in the world.

The ordinary shares of EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc are traded on the AIM market of the London Stock Exchange plc
The business is focused on the design, development, manufacture and selling of diagnostic instruments and reagents. EKF Diagnostics also sells ancillary products including a line of proprietary cuvettes (small transparent containers which contain the patients’ specimen in the device).

EKF Diagnostics' products and devices are designed to meet the needs of smaller professional clinical and research laboratories, doctors’ offices, sports clinics and athletic testing sites. The Group has its own sales force and is particularly strong in Eastern Europe and Russia which, the Directors believe, represent significant untapped point of care markets.

In 2010 EKF Diagnostic Holdings plc acquired Quotient Diagnostics Limited, based in Walton-on-Thames in Surrey and Argutus Medical Limited, based in Dublin, Ireland. The addition of these two businesses demonstrates the ambition of EKF to becoming a world leader in point of care diagnostics in hematology and kidney related diseases.

In June 2011 EKF Diagnostics acquired US manufacturer and distributor Stanbio Laboratory and also announced a distribution agreement with Alere for the Hemo Control blood analyser (sold as HemoPoint in the USA and Mexico).

http://www.ekfdiagnostics.com/

New data published on PointMan
RNS
RNS Number : 4388Z
EKF Diagnostics Holdings PLC
18 September 2015

18 September 2015

EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc

("EKF", the "Company")



New data published on PointMan™ molecular diagnostic technology



EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc (AIM: EKF), the AIM listed point-of-care, central laboratory and molecular diagnostics business, announces that two research posters supporting its PointMan™ molecular diagnostic technology have been delivered at key conferences.



On 8th September at the International Association for the Study of Lung Cancer's 16th World Conference on Lung Cancer meeting in Denver USA, Luecke et al from GILUPI GmbH and EKF Molecular presented a poster titled: An effective in vivo Liquid Biopsy tool for high yield isolation of circulating tumour cells. The researchers used EKF's PointMan KRAS DNA enrichment technology to analyse circulating tumour cells from blood samples taken from lung cancer patients using the GILUPI CellCollector®. The team concluded that the combination overcomes blood volume limitations of other CTC extraction approaches and mutations in isolated CTC DNA can be analysed using the PointMan technology. The Gilupi device allows CTC enumeration, molecular characterisation, and biomarker expression analysis, which could help guide treatment strategies and monitoring therapy efficacy.



PointMan also featured in a poster at the 9th Circulating Nucleic Acid in Plasma and Serum meeting in Berlin where Kimura et al from the Department of Respiratory Medicine, Kanazawa University Hospital, Japan, presented data on T790M DNA enrichment of specimens from a cohort of 52 lung cancer patients. T790M is an important biomarker as its presences indicates patients are becoming resistant to the drug regimen that is being used in the treatment of their late stage lung cancer. Being able to accurately, rapidly, cost effectively and non-invasively detect EGFR T790M early will assist in informing clinicians that a change in treatment is required. This poster expands on work previously presented at AACR in April and concludes that the PointMan assay is a useful and rapid technique for the detection of T790M in circulating DNA.



Julian Baines, CEO of EKF Diagnostics said: "These posters presented at two of the world's most prestigious meetings of researchers and clinicians treating lung cancer confirm the utility of PointMan and its key role in the molecular analysis of circulating tumour cells and cancer DNA in liquid biopsies. The global incidence of lung cancer is estimated at 1.825M of which 85% are non-small cell lung cancer and relevant to the benefit that using PointMan will offer by way of indicating more targeted and effective treatment options for clinicians treating lung cancer in the future. The increasing body of scientific data that is being generated to support PointMan will be particularly important as we commercialise the technology following CE regulatory approval anticipated later this month."



In accordance with Rule 26.1 of the Takeover Code, a copy of this announcement will be published on the Company's website http://www.ekfdiagnostics.com by no later than 12 noon on 16 September 2015.

Extension to deadline under Rule 2.6(c)
RNS
RNS Number : 6078C
EKF Diagnostics Holdings PLC
19 October 2015

NOT FOR RELEASE, PUBLICATION OR DISTRIBUTION, IN WHOLE OR IN PART, DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, IN, INTO OR FROM ANY JURISDICTION WHERE TO DO SO WOULD CONSTITUTE A VIOLATION OF THE RELEVANT LAWS OR REGULATIONS OF SUCH JURISDICTION



This is an announcement falling under Rule 2.4 of the Takeover Code and does not constitute an announcement of a firm intention to make an offer under Rule 2.7 of the Takeover Code. There can be no certainty that an offer will be made nor as to the terms on which any offer might be made.



EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc

("EKF" or the "Company")



Extension to deadline under Rule 2.6(c) of the City Code on Takeovers and Mergers (the "Code")



On 24 August 2015 the board of EKF (the "Board") announced that it had received a proposal from Jinjing (Group) Co., Ltd ("Jinjing") regarding a possible offer for the whole of the issued and to be issued ordinary share capital of the Company.



The original deadline for Jinjing to either announce a firm intention to make an offer for the Company or announce that it does not intend to make an offer was 5 p.m. on 18 September 2015. This deadline was subsequently extended, with the consent of the Panel on Takeovers and Mergers (the "Panel"), to 5 p.m. on 19 October 2015.



The parties are working together to conclude confirmatory due diligence and to agree the terms of a possible transaction, which includes, amongst other things, continuing discussions on the offer structure. Alternative structures under consideration include a cash offer by Jinjing for the entire issued share capital of EKF in combination with a distribution by EKF of its interests in its Molecular business to existing shareholders or a sale of certain assets by EKF to Jinjing in combination with a return of value by EKF to existing shareholders.



In accordance with Rule 2.6(c) of the Code, the Board has requested that the Panel extend the relevant deadline, as referred to above, to enable the parties to continue their discussions regarding a possible offer. Accordingly, an extension has been granted by the Panel and Jinjing must, by no later than 5 p.m. on 23 October 2015, either announce a firm intention to make an offer for EKF in accordance with Rule 2.7 of the Code or announce that it does not intend to make an offer, in which case the announcement will be treated as a statement to which Rule 2.8 of the Code applies. This deadline will only be extended with the consent of the Panel.



A further announcement will be made when appropriate. In the meantime, EKF shareholders are advised by the Board to take no action. There can be no certainty that any formal offer for the Company will be forthcoming, nor as to the terms of any such formal offer.



This announcement has been made with the agreement and approval of Jinjing.