Global biotechnology firm Randox, Crumlin, UK, has launched a new business unit, Randox Biosciences, dedicated to advancing scientific discovery, drug development, and companion diagnostics. Randox Biosciences is a result of the merger and expansion of four of the company’s existing business units: life sciences, pharma sciences, research, and molecular.

Thapliya, Henry

Rachana Thapliya, PhD (left), and Patrick Henry, Randox Biosciences.

According to Randox, the new business unit has already created 15 new jobs at its base in Crumlin, and it is expected to double that figure by the end of the year. A core team of more than 300 R&D scientists and engineers are employed at the Randox Biosciences hub, specializing in supplying products and services to universities, genetics labs, and the pharmaceutical industry across the globe.

Exports and international collaborations will be key drivers of growth for the new division. “Our focus is on targeting the thriving personalized medicine market, which at its heart relies on precision medicine-enabling technology and tests to tailor healthcare solutions to the right patients at the right time,” says Patrick Henry, head of Randox Biosciences. “Led by our dedicated research scientists, we offer advanced products for use in academic research, enabling new scientific discoveries, and in pharma companies, for their drug development and clinical trials.

“A particularly exciting area for Randox Biosciences is in companion diagnostic development,” Henry adds. “This is where new diagnostic tests are developed and approved alongside new drugs, improving their efficacy and safety whilst helping to reduce costs for healthcare networks by avoiding unnecessary or ineffective drug prescriptions.

“Precision medicine is next-generation healthcare, with huge potential for Randox in terms of exports and collaborations,” Henry concludes. “We are already creating traction in the United States and Europe, and have our sights set on Japan, in which we expect to have a solid presence by autumn.”

FitzGerald

Peter FitzGerald, PhD, Randox.

Funding for the Randox Biosciences division is a result of the Randox group’s commitment to innovative R&D. “Research and development is fundamental to the creation of new products, and we recognize its importance,” says Randox founder and managing director Peter FitzGerald, PhD. “In 2014–2015 we invested £15 million into R&D, our most significant spend on this core function to date. This investment has allowed us to establish the Randox Biosciences division, which will act as a roadmap for our R&D, taking our tests and technology to new markets across the world.

“At the moment, Randox Biosciences is engaged in world-leading research into Alzheimer’s disease and cancer, and is involved in more than 35 collaborations with internationally renowned academic research centers,” adds FitzGerald. “The Randox Biosciences team is truly at the frontier of healthcare discovery, making our vision a reality.”

For further information, visit Randox.