Reacta Healthcare, a clinical diagnostic company dedicated to providing innovative diagnostics for life-threatening food allergies, are delighted to announce the successful completion of a c.£1m project substantially funded by Innovate UK Biomedical Catalyst. This marks a significant milestone in the development of the challenge meals for peanut, milk and egg allergy, suitable for allergic individuals from 6 months old extending our pharma-grade allergy diagnostics portfolio.
Food allergy in young children is a major health concern, and its prevalence is rising. It is often over-diagnosed by parents, resulting occasionally in unnecessary exclusion of some important foods. It also causes stress, anxiety, and even depression in parents and affects the family’s quality of life. The project builds on Reacta’s existing adult formulations covering several highly relevant allergens (peanut, egg, and milk) currently being utilised globally in therapeutic clinical trials. This project sought to develop diagnostics targeted at the very young, incorporating unique texturisers, aroma and flavour agents tailored to children aged as young as 6 months.
During the Innovate UK funded project, in addition to the formulation of these challenge meals, advanced analytics were developed to ensure safety and compliance to regulations globally. The challenge meals will be ready for supply to the clinical trial space in 2026.
Hayley Lett, Head of R&D commented, “I am delighted that Innovate UK have deemed this project a success and I thank the whole team at Reacta Healthcare for their hard work and commitment to the project. The products developed have the potential to fundamentally improve safety and efficacy of food allergy diagnostics for very young children.”
For further information please visit www.reactahealthcare.com
About Reacta Healthcare:
Reacta Healthcare, established in 2013, operates from a pharmaceutical manufacturing facility in Deeside, North Wales. The MHRA licensed facility is licenced to manufacture oral challenge meals, for use in clinical trials, as auxiliary medicinal products. The Reacta Healthcare challenge meals are currently used to diagnose and monitor food allergy in numerous global therapeutic trials. The business is progressing along a strategic path to marketing authorisation. Patents for the challenge meals have been granted in a number of countries.
Reacta Healthcare is responding to the rapidly evolving food allergy environment, future plans include expansion into niche areas of food allergen development and manufacture beyond challenge meals.
About Biomedical Catalyst
The Biomedical Catalyst is Innovate UK’s flagship grant funding mechanism helping small and medium-sized businesses test and develop innovative health and care solutions across life sciences, including therapeutics, medical devices, and digital health. The Biomedical Catalyst transforms innovative ideas into commercially viable businesses.
About Innovate UK
Innovate UK, part of UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), is the UK’s innovation agency. It works to create a better future by inspiring, involving and investing in businesses developing life-changing innovations. Its mission is to help companies to grow through their development and commercialisation of new products, processes and services, supported by an outstanding innovation ecosystem that is agile, inclusive and easy to navigate.
Innovate UK: inspiring business innovation.
https://www.ukri.org/councils/innovate-uk/