Established in 2013, with origins at the University of Manchester and headquartered in Deeside, North Wales, Reacta Healthcare was founded to solve a significant challenge in global allergy testing.
While traditional oral food allergy testing requires patients to consume the allergen they are being tested for, such as peanuts, eggs or milk, Reacta’s products instead contain defined quantities of an allergen in a masked form, allowing for safer, more consistent and standardised testing.
Export Journey
The company first entered international markets in 2017 with its peanut product, before expanding its portfolio to include milk and egg allergy diagnostics in response to unmet demand within the sector.
Exporting has led to huge growth for Reacta, with revenues rising by an impressive 400% since 2023. Today, Reacta’s products are distributed to a global network of approximately 300 clinical trial sites throughout Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. The company is heavily involved in major international allergy trials, particularly in the USA, where clinical research in the field is well established.
In the last year, Reacta has continued to strengthen its global footprint, securing new clients in Europe and the USA, while growing eased its workforce from 50 to 80 employees, with further recruitment planned as production scales to meet global studies demand.
It is also in the process of developing a product suitable for children aged six months and older, which will enable it to support allergy testing across all age groups and further expand its client base.
To support its rapid export growth, the company is set to open a second facility next to its existing Deeside site, increasing its floorspace by 50% The additional space will allow the company to expand its laboratory and research and development functions.
Welsh Government Support
Reacta’s international growth has been supported by export advice and assistance from the Welsh Government, including help to attend overseas market visits and conferences, as well as ongoing guidance from International Trade Advisors to navigate complex global markets.
Looking ahead, Reacta is also assessing opportunities to expand further into Asia and extend its product portfolio to cater to demand in the food allergy sector in the region.
Belinda Mortell, Head of Commercial at Reacta, said:
“Exporting has been fundamental to our growth and now represents what we do as a business. Global clinical trials need safe, reliable and standardised allergy diagnostics and our products allow that, while reducing risk and improving the experience for patients.
“The growth we’ve seen over the past year - from doubling our team to opening a new facility - is a direct result of increasing international demand. The support we’ve received from the Welsh Government via Business Wales has been invaluable in helping us enter new markets and strengthen our international presence.”