Case Study: University Hospital Southhampton x LSG

Custom reagent manufacture for University Hospital Southampton

Introduction

Life Science Group partnered with the Virology Department at University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust to develop and manufacture a custom reagent used across their workflows.

The project focused on producing an 8M guanidine hydrochloride solution. The aim was to create a reliable, ready-to-use reagent that could support ongoing virology testing while reducing dependence on existing suppliers.

The Challenge: Why the Customer Came to Us

The customer’s existing reagent supply chain had become unreliable, with manufacturing delays and poor availability creating operational risk.

As the customer explained:

“The manufacturing issues are still ongoing with our existing supplier, so this will likely be required as soon as it arrives”.

They were looking to improve supply, but needed confidence that the product could be manufactured, validated, supplied at suitable volumes, and adapted around realistic usage patterns.

Key challenges included:

• Poor availability from the incumbent supplier.
• A need for a custom formulation and fill volume.
• Specific container requirements due to solvent and chaotrope use.
• Validation requirements before wider workflow adoption.
• Changing volume forecasts and the need for flexible batch planning.
• Shelf-life considerations linked to ordering frequency and stock usage.

Life Science Group's Role

Life Science Group worked closely with the customer to move from enquiry to manufacture, supporting them through specification, quotation, production planning, documentation, and release.

Our role included:

• Reviewing the customer’s custom product requirements.
• Building a quotation around forecasted usage and realistic batch sizes.
• Revising pricing when the customer’s forecast changed.
• Advising on batch frequency, shelf life, and supply planning.
• Preparing and agreeing the product specification before manufacture.
• Confirming release expectations, including pH and relevant quality considerations.
• Manufacturing the custom reagent and dispatching it for customer validation.
• Maintaining clear communication throughout the process.

The project required a collaborative approach, with both teams working through formulation, packaging, release criteria, validation needs, and future supply planning. 

Key Outcomes and Achievements

The first manufactured batch was successfully produced and dispatched for customer validation.

Feedback from the customer was overwhelmingly positive:

“We were testing your reagent with the majority of our workload – and it is working perfectly, so it will be a quality improvement for our services.”

Key outcomes included:

• • • Successful manufacture of a custom guanidine hydrochloride reagent.
    • A more secure alternative to an unreliable incumbent supply route.
    • Product supplied for validation within the customer’s workflow.
    • Flexible pricing and batch planning based on revised usage data.
    • Progression toward catalogue addition and future repeat supply.
    • Discussion of two further potential custom products for manufacture by LSG.

Summary: LSG Products and Solutions

This project demonstrates Life Science Group’s ability to support customers with custom liquid manufacture where standard catalogue products or incumbent suppliers cannot meet operational needs.

For laboratories, diagnostics teams, and life science organisations, LSG can support with:

• Custom buffers and reagents.
• Specialist liquid manufacture.
• Small and medium batch production.
• Customer-specific fill volumes and packaging formats.
• Specification development and documentation.
• Flexible batch planning aligned to usage and shelf life.
• UK-based manufacture with responsive technical and commercial support.

Where supply chain reliability matters, LSG helps customers move from uncertainty to a more controlled, collaborative, and dependable manufacturing solution.

Email sales@lifesciencegroup.co.uk to discuss your requirements.