osteolabs UK formed to expand access to osteoporosis diagnostic

osteolabs has announced the formation of osteolabs UK in Marlow near London. osteolabs UK is a Joint Venture between osteolabs as majority shareholder and Christopher Brain, a medtech business professional with a track record of well over 15 years with IVD companies such as Abbott, Cepheid and Roche Diagnostics. 

Chris will assume the managing director/general manager role for osteolabs UK from 1 May 2021 onwards. osteolabs UK plans to work with clinical osteoporosis professionals across Great Britain in order to ensure easy and efficient access to the CE-marked OsteoTest for early detection of osteoporosis which was successfully introduced in Germany and other European countries in 2020.

Osteoporosis represents a major disease burden in the UK with over 500,000 hospitalisations per annum as a result of osteoporotic fractures at a cost impact of over £4.4 billion. The innovative, CE-marked OsteoTest is protected by patent and has been clinically validated in several studies. It can be used both to detect osteoporosis and to monitor therapy. Up to now, patients have had to be exposed to X-rays for a diagnosis - in most cases when osteoporosis has already occurred.

Chris Brain, incoming managing director of osteolabs UK, said: “I am thrilled to establish and to lead this joint venture together with osteolabs, a leading player for early detection of osteoporosis. This is a devastating disease affecting millions of patients per year.”

Dr. Bernd Buchholz, minister of economic affairs of the federal state of Schleswig-Holstein added: "osteolabs is a perfect example of an innovative player in the state who is courageously paving its way and expanding the business despite the ongoing pandemic. I am very pleased to see that know-how from Schleswig-Holstein is now being applied more and more internationally through partnerships and now the formation of a joint venture with a leading UK partner.”