Swiss Precision Diagnostics
Empowering Women’s Reproductive Health through Reliable IVD Products

Europe’s in vitro diagnostics (IVD) market is the secondlargest after North America. The market’s growth is attributed to factors such as the rise in demand for early diagnosis and personalized medicine and the development of advanced technologies for diagnostics. IVDs play a critical role in women’s reproductive health by assisting in diagnosing and monitoring various conditions. However, accurate and reliable results are crucial for ensuring reproductive health. If the testing equipment is faulty or the results are difficult to interpret, it can lead to incorrect or confusing results. Hence, businesses must ensure that the products are designed to provide accurate results and are easy to use.

This is where Swiss Precision Diagnostics (SPD) comes into play. Considered one of the leaders in researching, designing, and marketing advanced consumer diagnostic products, it supports women’s reproductive health needs by developing reliable diagnostic products. It strives to empower women through all stages of their reproductive journey.

“SPD is a joint venture between Procter & Gamble and Abbott, each offering their specialties. With the benefit of such market leaders, we have a unique edge that few can replicate,” says Dr Elizabeth Desmond, Managing Director of SPD Development Company. This advantage has allowed the firm to lead the industry in innovation to reach its customers globally.

“The R&D Center has decades of experience in the industry. In 1985, Clearblue launched its first rapid home pregnancy test and since then it has been recognized as a trusted brand by our consumers. We take immense pride in providing home diagnostics that fulfill our consumer’s needs,” says Dr Fiona Clancy, Research & Development Senior Director at SPD.

The company focuses on combining accuracy with ease of use, ensuring that consumers receive accurate results quickly and conveniently.

SPD’s latest product is the Clearblue Digital Ultra Early Pregnancy Test, which is the brand’s most sensitive digital pregnancy test detecting the pregnancy hormone, hCG, with a sensitivity of 10mIU/mL. It also includes an extra wide tip for easy sampling and a unique stop light which flashes to tell the user when she’s sampled enough urine. It also reassures the user throughout testing with a Smart Countdown to clear digital result in words.

SPD’s products support women throughout their fertility journey. Within their range of fertility diagnostics, the Clearblue Advanced Digital Ovulation Test is designed to help women increase their chances of conceiving naturally. When a woman’s fertility peaks, the digital display features a smiley face indicating this is the optimal moment for intercourse. By tracking two distinct fertility hormones, this test typically identifies four or more fertile days and is over 99 percent accurate at detecting the luteinising hormone (LH) surge. In a study of 87 women, four or more fertile days were identified in 80% of cycles using actual cycle length.

At SPD, we have the benefit of decades of experience in the industry combined with a continued pipeline of innovation for a strong future. We are proud to empower women by providing home diagnostics that fulfill their needs

To effectively support the Clearblue brand mission of empowering women to manage their reproductive journey, SPD has a cross-functional R&D team at its Clearblue Innovation Centre in Bedford, UK. It comprises talented scientists, engineers, and in-house clinical trial and consumer testing teams who engage with and learn from women throughout the product development lifecycle.

The Clearblue Innovation Centreaims at being an environmentally responsible site and pursues sustainable business practices. The site has obtained its energy from certificated renewable sources for many years. On a broader business scale, SPD is committed through innovation to incorporate more sustainable technologies into its products and has also been active in switching many of its products’ packaging to recycled cardboard and paper.

In the future, SPD aims to stay agile and maintain its culture of innovation. It plans to build further on Clearblue’s success, invest in upskilling its team and actively recruit top-tier professionals across many areas including design engineering, software, quality and regulatory.