EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc

("EKF", the "Company")

Director Shareholding

EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc (AIM: EKF), the AIM listed point-of-care, central laboratory and molecular diagnostics business, announces, in accordance with the rules of the existing unapproved share option scheme, the following options over the Company's ordinary shares, with a nominal value of 1 pence each, were granted today to Paul Foulger, Finance Director.

The options are exercisable on the following conditions linked to mid-market closing price being met:

·      One third of the options granted capable of being exercised when the mid-market closing share price attains 50 pence for at least 20 consecutive days on which the London Stock Exchange is open for business;

·      One third of the options granted capable of being exercised when the mid-market closing share price attains 60 pence for at least 20 consecutive days on which the London Stock Exchange is open for business; and

·      One third of the options granted capable of being exercised when the mid-market closing share price attains 70 pence for at least 20 consecutive days on which the London Stock Exchange is open for business.

Enquiries:

About EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc - www.ekfdiagnostics.com

EKF Diagnostics Holdings plc was formed in July 2010 following the acquisition of EKF-diagnostic GmbH for €14.32m and refocused its strategy to one of building a substantial point of care diagnostics business. As part of this strategy, the Group has integrated three further acquisitions, Quotient Diagnostics Limited (acquired in September 2010), Argutus Medical Limited (acquired in December 2010) and Stanbio Laboratory L.P. (acquired in June 2011). In 2013 EKF established a new subsidiary, EKF Molecular Diagnostics Ltd, to focus on molecular and companion diagnostics and acquired 360 Genomics Ltd, a business that owns diagnostics technologies for cancer gene detection.

The Company, with its head office in Cardiff and operations in London, Germany, Poland, Russia, Ireland and the US, is a leading diagnostics business, focussing on the development, production and distribution of chemical reagents and analysers for the testing of Glucose, Lactate, Haemoglobin, Haematocrit and HbA1c.

In March 2011 EKF entered into a distribution agreement with Alere Inc ("Alere"), a global diagnostics company, under which Alere was appointed the exclusive distributor of EKF's CLIA waived Hemo Control device and cuvettes in the US, Canada and United Kingdom. The device is distributed in the US under the name HemoPoint H2. 

In March 2014, EKF acquired Separation Technology, Inc., a Florida based manufacturer of in vitro diagnostics devices for the haematology testing market for a total consideration of $4.0m (c.£2.4m). In March 2014, EKF also announced the intention to acquire Selah Genomics Inc., a US based developer of molecular diagnostics for personalised medicine and DiaSpect Medical AB., a Swedish based manufacturer of point-of-care haemoglobin analysers. Completions of the acquisitions of Selah Genomics Inc. and DiaSpect Medical AB.are expected to occur on 17 April 2014.