A North Wales life sciences company has doubled its workforce and is expanding into a second facility in Deeside following rapid international growth that has seen revenues rise by 400% since 2023.
Reacta Healthcare, which develops specialist products used in global food allergy clinical trials, has grown its headcount from 50 to 80 in the last 12 months and is planning further recruitment as it scales up production to support studies worldwide.
The expansion has been driven by exports, which currently account for 100% of the company’s business.
Founded in 2013, Reacta was established to address a major challenge in allergy testing. Traditional oral food allergy testing requires patients to consume the allergen they are being tested for, such as peanuts, eggs or milk, which can make it difficult to standardise and to compare results. Reacta’s products contain well defined quantities of each allergen in a masked form, allowing for safer, more consistent and robust testing across global clinical trials.
To support its rapid growth, the company has plans to open a new facility this year, next to its existing Deeside site, increasing its available floor space by 50%. The original premises will then house its expanded Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) manufacturing facility and specialist laboratories. The new building will house both office, laboratory and R&D functions and will support further team expansion over the coming year.
Reacta supplies its products to customers in several countries, with those products then distributed to a global network of approximately 300 clinical trial sites across Europe, North America, Australia and New Zealand. The company is involved in major international allergy trials, particularly in the United States, where clinical research in this area is well established.
In the past year, Reacta has secured several new clients in Europe and the USA and launched newegg and milk allergy products, expanding beyond its original peanut offering which first entered international markets in 2017. The company has also been developing a product range suitable for children aged six months and older, which will enable it to support allergy testing across all age groups.
Looking ahead, Reacta is also assessing opportunities to expand into Asia, and extend its product portfolio due to growing demand in the food allergy sector in this geographic region.
Reacta’s international journey has been supported by export assistance from the Welsh Government which has enabled the company to participate in overseas market visits, attend key international conferences and receive ongoing guidance from International Trade Advisors to help navigate complex global and regulatory markets.
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 soon opening a new facility – is a direct result of increasing international demand. The support we’ve received from the Welsh Government has been invaluable, playing a vital role in helping us enter new markets and build confidence as we continue to strengthen our international presence.”
Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans, said: “I am delighted that Reacta Healthcare is thriving internationally, supported by Welsh Government export support programmes.
“Exporting can make a real difference to businesses across Wales, driving growth and creating jobs. We recognise the important contribution that exports are making to the Welsh economy and that is why we are investing £3.5 million this financial year to help businesses on their export journeys.”
With strong demand from international clinical trials, an expanding product pipeline, and plans to enter new global markets, the company is well positioned for its next phase of export-led growth.
