IDH.L Regulatory News (IDH)

17 Sep 2007 07:01

Immunodiagnostic Systems Hldgs PLC17 September 2007 Immunodiagnostic Systems Holdings PLC ("IDS" or the "Company") Board Appointment - Operations Director IDS, a leading producer of diagnostic testing kits, announces the appointment ofChristopher Ian Cookson as Operations Director of the company with effect from 1November. Ian Cookson, aged 53, brings more than 20 years of experience gainedin senior appointments within the In Vitro Diagnostics (IVD) industry, and askill set of particular relevance to the forward strategic plans of IDS. MrCookson joins IDS from Axis-Shield plc, where he is Managing Director of theirDundee based Laboratory Division with revenues of over £17 million and 130employees. Mr Cookson has played a central role in the growth of the Laboratory Division,including consolidating all diagnostics production to a new facility in Dundeeand executing a number of development and manufacturing agreements with AbbottLaboratories of Chicago USA. More recently Axis-Shield has developedproprietary immunoassays under their own name for distribution on Abbott's AxSYMautomated immunoassay platform. His experience will be particularly relevant to his new position as OperationsDirector of IDS. With the licence agreement to the 3X3 instrument signed withBiocode-Hycel of Liege in December 2006, and the subsequent acquisition of theFranco/Belgian company in its entirety in August 2007, IDS has entered the realmof automated IVD. This represents a 'sea change' in the strategic developmentof IDS, and one that provides substantial new challenges to the team. Board appointments in the recent past directly address these challenges. IanCookson will join Tony Wilks (ex-Nichols Institute Diagnostics (NID) with a longexperience of instrumentation sales and support) and Dr Martha Garrity (ex-NIDand 12 years in immunoassay development for automation), where the extensiveskills and experience gained at Axis-Shield will be invaluable. Also, with the completion of the acquisitions of Nordic Bioscience Diagnostics(NBD; July 2007) and Biocode-Hycel (August 2007), there is to be a period ofconsolidation of the businesses to attain efficiencies, increase revenues andreduce costs. IDS is also committed to transfer production of NBD products fromCopenhagen to Boldon, UK, and Mr Cookson will be central to the successfulexecution of these tasks. Ian Cookson commented: "I am very pleased to be joining IDS at this time. Ihave followed their impressive growth since flotation with admiration. Therecent acquisitions give the company the opportunity to provide its tests on anautomated platform to its key customer groups. I am looking forward to playingmy part in the future success of the company. Managing Director IDS, Dr Roger Duggan, said: "We have set ourselves ademanding schedule in the acquisitions of NBD and Biocode-Hycel and entry intofully-automated immunoassay, and the calibre of the Senior Team is critical tothe success of this venture. The addition of Ian to the team as OperationsDirector, together with that of Alain Rousseau of Biocode-Hycel as EngineeringDirector, gives me tremendous confidence that we will meet our goals. IDS isset to become a significant force in the specialist IVD market, and I predict aperiod of continued growth, market penetration and enhanced shareholder value inthe months and years ahead." Save as set out below, there is no further information to disclose in respect ofMr. Cookson under paragraph (g) of Schedule 2 to the AIM rules. Past and Current Directorships: Axis-Shield Diagnostics Ltd Enquiries: Immunodiagnostic Systems Holdings plc Parkgreen Communications LtdDr. Roger Duggan, Managing Director Paul McManusTel: 0191 519 0660 Tel: 020 7479 7933www.idsltd.com Mob: 07980 541 893 paul.mcmanus@parkgreenmedia.com Landsbanki Securities (UK) LimitedSindre OttesenTel: 020 7426 9000 This information is provided by RNS The company news service from the London Stock Exchange