RCS - Abingdon Health PLC - Avian flu (H5N1) lateral flow test

Abingdon HealthAnnouncement

02/06/2025 07:00

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RNS Number : 8575K  Abingdon Health PLC  02 June 2025

 

 

 

Abingdon Health plc

("Abingdon Health", the "Group" or the "Company")

 

Avian flu (H5N1) lateral flow test

 

Strategic partnership with Okos Diagnostics to jointly develop and
commercialise avian flu (H5N1) lateral flow kits for bovine health and human
applications

 

York, U.K. 2 June 2025: Abingdon Health plc (AIM: ABDX), a leading
international developer, manufacturer and distributor of high quality and
effective rapid tests, announces that it has entered a co-development,
manufacturing and commercialisation agreement with Okos Diagnostics B.V.
("Okos"), a Netherlands-based diagnostic company specialising in innovative
lateral flow technologies.

 

Under the terms of the agreement, Abingdon Health and Okos will collaborate to
adapt Okos' prototype avian flu lateral flow test for specific applications in
both animal and human health. The partnership will initially focus on two key
use cases: bovine health testing via milk samples and human health
applications via nasal pharyngeal fluid.

 

The agreement grants Abingdon Health exclusive rights to distribute the final
test kits globally, with a profit share agreement between both companies.

 

An April 2025 publication in the Lancet (1) outlined: "The recent emergence of
highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza virus infections in dairy cows and
humans in the U.S. has raised alarms regarding the potential for a pandemic.
Over 995 dairy cow herds and at least 70 humans have been affected, including
cases of severe disease and the first reported H5N1-related death in the U.S.
Sporadic human infections with no known contact with infected animals
highlight the possibility of viral adaptation for efficient human-to-human
transmission. Concurrently, the virus continues to circulate in wild birds,
backyard flocks, and hunted migratory species, further amplifying the risk to
humans and domestic animals".

 

Dr Chris Hand, Executive Chairman of Abingdon Health plc, commented: "We are
excited to partner with Okos Diagnostics to bring these innovative lateral
flow tests to the global market. This collaboration perfectly aligns with our
mission to improve health by making rapid tests accessible to all. By
combining Okos' excellent work to date on developing prototypes with our
scale-up, manufacturing, regulatory and commercialisation capabilities, we're
well-positioned to deliver high-quality diagnostic solutions that address
these important health needs. Additionally, the state of Wisconsin, USA has
already announced that it will begin the of testing of cows' milk for avian
flu(2) which indicates the rapidly increasing market for this test."

 

Sander Brus, CEO of Okos Diagnostics B.V., commented: "This partnership with
Abingdon Health represents a significant opportunity to commercialise our
lateral flow avian flu (H5N1) technology across multiple markets. We believe
our innovative diagnostic approach to this biomarker, combined with Abingdon's
scale-up and manufacturing excellence and global reach, will allow us to bring
valuable testing solutions to customers worldwide. We look forward to a
successful long-term collaboration."

 

 

((1)      ) Enhancing the response to avian influenza in the US and
globally - The Lancet Regional Health - Americas
(https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanam/article/PIIS2667-193X(25)00110-3/fulltext)

((2)      ) Wisconsin Begins Bird Flu Testing in Dairy Milk | Wisconsin
Ag Connection
(https://wisconsinagconnection.com/news/wisconsin-begins-bird-flu-testing-in-dairy-milk)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enquiries:

 

 Abingdon Health plc                           www.abingdonhealth.com/investors/ (http://www.abingdonhealth.com/investors/)
 Chris Hand, Executive Chairman                                            Via Walbrook PR

 Tom Hayes, CFO

 Zeus (Sole Broker and Nominated Adviser)                                    Tel: +44 (0)20 3829 5000
 Antonio Bossi / Alexandra Campbell-Harris (Corporate Finance)
 Fraser Marshall (Corporate Broking)

 Walbrook PR (Media & Investor Relations)      Tel: +44 (0)20 7933 8780 or abingdon@walbrookpr.com
                                               (mailto:abingdon@walbrookpr.com)
 Paul McManus / Alice Woodings                 Mob: +44 (0)7980 541 893 / +44 (0)7407 804 654

 

 

 

About Abingdon Health plc

Abingdon Health Group is a leading med-tech contract service provider
offering its services to an international customer base.

 

The Company's CDMO division
(https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.abingdonhealth.com_services_&d=DwMFAg&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=b40MoFA_Q_fdsT77LXB5t3JFUZjlmpd2MVbmgvoBIOo&m=5rmPWmSeAYNtvo-wVGL_4V7p0wZ2qRPhbqDj6E6FHnhVakMVyzvk7wZG1jS6vI4P&s=HA76POaNPDBWSuSNqpvm6h6sTVAmwDfGPxyLLvvNBHg&e=)
 offers lateral flow product development, regulatory support, technology
transfer and manufacturing services for customers looking to develop new
assays or transfer existing laboratory-based assays to a lateral flow
format. Abingdon Health's CDMO division has the internal capabilities to
take lateral flow projects, in areas such as infectious disease and clinical
testing, including companion diagnostics, animal health and environmental
testing, from initial concept through to routine and large-scale
manufacturing; from "idea to commercial success".

 

Abingdon's regulatory services companies, Compliance Solutions (Life
Sciences)
(https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__cslifesciences.com&d=DwMFAg&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=b40MoFA_Q_fdsT77LXB5t3JFUZjlmpd2MVbmgvoBIOo&m=5rmPWmSeAYNtvo-wVGL_4V7p0wZ2qRPhbqDj6E6FHnhVakMVyzvk7wZG1jS6vI4P&s=PvbE1xuJgNrAaK0I9QSrYjO3acai4ITHsbheoH-Cavc&e=)
 and IVDeology
(https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.ivdeology.co.uk&d=DwMFAg&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=b40MoFA_Q_fdsT77LXB5t3JFUZjlmpd2MVbmgvoBIOo&m=5rmPWmSeAYNtvo-wVGL_4V7p0wZ2qRPhbqDj6E6FHnhVakMVyzvk7wZG1jS6vI4P&s=mbRruUP_NEre93fFYpNkBweGVcmSCnXpjUyMQmUx1yI&e=)
, provide a broad range of regulatory services to the in vitro diagnostic and
wider medical device industry, to support customers in bringing products to
market across a range of territories including the USA, EU and the UK. Our
consultancy services range from design, implementation and maintenance of
quality management systems, preparation of technical files for regulatory
approvals, part-time and interim management support, auditing both internal
and external, management reviews and presentations, training and
mentoring.   The Company's subsidiary, Abingdon Analytical Ltd, offers
analytical testing and performance evaluation to generate the required
technical and data for regulatory approval.

 

Abingdon Health's Abingdon Simply Test range of self-tests is an e-commerce
platform that offers a range of self-tests to empowers consumers to manage
their own health and wellbeing. The Abingdon Simply Test
(https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.abingdonsimplytest.com&d=DwMFAg&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=b40MoFA_Q_fdsT77LXB5t3JFUZjlmpd2MVbmgvoBIOo&m=5rmPWmSeAYNtvo-wVGL_4V7p0wZ2qRPhbqDj6E6FHnhVakMVyzvk7wZG1jS6vI4P&s=71SLyhJsm1hJqJvXuK0jPc4-fr_IZIW_VOOfo4sJwQw&e=)
 e-commerce site offers consumers a range of information to support them in
making informed decisions on the tests available. In addition, the site
provides Abingdon's contract services customers with a potential route to
market for self-tests. The Abingdon Simply Test range is also sold through
international distributors and through other channels in
the UK and Ireland, such as pharmacy chains.

 

Founded in 2008, Abingdon Health is headquartered in York, England.

 

For more information visit: www.abingdonhealth.com
(https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__www.abingdonhealth.com_&d=DwMFAg&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=b40MoFA_Q_fdsT77LXB5t3JFUZjlmpd2MVbmgvoBIOo&m=5rmPWmSeAYNtvo-wVGL_4V7p0wZ2qRPhbqDj6E6FHnhVakMVyzvk7wZG1jS6vI4P&s=Cd1Yy0EoU5vx33xedoTE3bCKbljgDOIRD8ol-bb59BM&e=)

 

About Okos Diagnostics B.V.

Okos Diagnostics B.V. is a Netherlands-based diagnostic company specializing
in the development of innovative lateral flow test technologies. The company
focuses on creating advanced diagnostic solutions for both human and animal
health applications.

Okos originated during the pandemic with the goal of uniting human and
environmental health. The company recently launched Measie, a new eco-friendly
range of home-use rapid tests. Okos collaborates with academic medical centres
and global partners to ensure rigorous clinical validation and real-world
impact. Backed by a growing portfolio of proprietary technologies and
international IP, Okos is emerging as a leading innovator in the diagnostics
space.

Okos' strong network in the United States raised early concerns about the
rising threat of H5N1, prompting a rapid and targeted development effort.
Since then, its avian flu lateral flow tests have been validated in multiple
prominent laboratories worldwide, ensuring accuracy, reliability, and
readiness for global deployment.

Okos Diagnostics, founded in 2022, is in Leiden, the Netherlands.

 

For more information visit: www.okosdiagnostics.com
(http://www.okosdiagnostics.com)

 

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