Ballymena diagnostics company CIGA Healthcare will seek to expand its products into new markets in Asia after securing fresh finance from HSBC UK.

Irwin Armstrong’s company supplies a wide range of over-the-counter and professional tests to pharmacies and health services.

It is planning to use the new finance from the bank to extend its sales of rapid test kits into India, Japan and Korea.

The family-owned company will also use the funding to help improve the cycle time of the tests – from manufacturing to supplying the 80 countries in which it already operates.

“Through HSBC UK’s international footprint, we have been able to gain on the ground, local insight from each country we expand into, so the advice from the bank has really helped our international growth,” said Mr Armstrong.

“We are grateful for the support from HSBC and we can’t wait to see where we go next.”

Lauren Dougherty from HSBC said: “We have worked closely with CIGA Healthcare since it was founded and it has been brilliant to see it expand both its product lines and the countries that it supplies.”