TestRAMP to extend testing beyond COVID-19

Two years ago a COVID-19 not-for-profit, TestRAMP was established to which help UK COVID testing laboratories, and has generated around £2.4 million for good causes. 

The company is now expanding to work with the same labs on tackling other diseases, and has started a charitable foundation, TestAID.

In spring of 2020, with no COVID vaccines on the horizon, the WHO told the world to “Test, Test, Test”. Then health secretary Matt Hancock implored UK laboratories to help so the UK could test more.

Mike Hudson’s partner, a GP, was working in a Covid hub and he was frustrated he couldn’t do as much to help in the pandemic. So, he started TestRAMP, with the idea of encouraging as much COVID testing as possible. He reached out to numerous labs, finding those who could already do PCR, and helping other labs to start.

In time, the government required all international arrivals to pay to be PCR tested. COVID testing had become commercial. TestRAMP set up a marketplace to connect companies who needed to carry out testing with the PCR labs that could do it for them and started charging fees. TestRAMP arranged subcontracting between labs to manage supply and demand and helped source sequencing.

All positive PCR tests are genomically sequenced to find potentially dangerous new variants. TestRAMP worked with labs to make sure testing works smoothly, and where labs have had problems it has stepped in to help. The company set up an industry initiative, Labsure, to help make the system more resilient.

During the pandemic TestRAMP generated approximately £2.4 million in fees. Hudson hasn’t taken a salary, so most of this will be donated, less taxes. TestRAMP has already given £1 million to Alzheimer’s Society and ZSL, jointly, £50,000 to Pilgrim’s Hospices, and has provided an initial donation of £400,000 to TestAid, Hudson’s new charitable foundation. Most of the rest will follow soon.

TestRAMP is now expanding into diagnostic testing for other serious diseases, such as cancer and Alzheimer’s. After helping UK labs with Covid, the company hopes to help them roll out innovative new tests for other diseases, at the same time reducing pressure on the NHS.

In February the TestAid Foundation was established, a restricted fund operating under the auspices of Prism the Gift Fund, registered charity no. 1099682. TestAid aims to partner with other donors in the diagnostics industry to support good causes relevant to the life sciences.