The latest Business updates from the science industry


Queen’s Award and Expansion Underpin Next Growth Phase by Heather Hobbs


Clintec, a global full service CRO, was presented with the Queens Award for Enterprise 2017, in the category of International Trade, by Lord Provost, Eva Bolander in her capacity as Lord Lieutenant. The award ceremony coincided with the offi cial opening of an additional 4327sq feet fl oor at the company’s Glasgow-based headquarters, forming a centre of excellence for clinical research and quality assurance capabilities.


Company founder and CEO, Dr Rabinder Buttar said: “We are honoured to have received the Queens Award for Enterprise for the second time – through which we celebrate 20 years of global success in clinical research. Furthermore, we are delighted to mark today with the expansion of our clinical operational capabilities and HQ offi ce space for the next stage of company growth.”


Dr Rabinder Buttar receives The Queen’s Award from Lord Provost Eva Bolander


She added: “Clintec’s high quality performance and service offering that we have consistently delivered to our customers over the past two decades, is well acknowledged. This includes our global footprint, with local expertise, fl exibility, agility and high level of service with senior management closely involved in the innovative


MRC to Fund Diagnostic Test Development


Leeds University and the Avacta Group have been awarded a £3.8 million grant by the Medical Research Council (UK) to develop next generation biosensors to differentiate between bacterial and viral infections and also to determine which bacterial strain has caused the infection so that the correct antibiotic can be quickly administered. This will allow for more targeted use of antibiotics, reducing the number of wrongly prescribed treatments and increasing effi cacy for patients, which will contribute to a reduction in anti-microbial resistance (AMR).


As an engineered alternative to antibodies, Affi mer reagents can target bacterial or viral proteins with a high degree of specifi city and used to create accurate diagnostic tests and laboratory assays, or used to develop new therapeutic candidates, said the company.The development of the biosensors will take place at Leeds University in the Groups of Professors Christoph Walti (Electronic Engineering) and Mike McPherson (Biochemistry). As part of the collaborative agreement between Avacta and the University of Leeds, Avacta will have the fi rst rights to commercialise the new Affi mer reagents and new diagnostic tests developed under the programme.


Alastair Smith, Avacta Group Chief Executive commented: “There is a growing, global need for diagnostic tests that differentiate bacterial strains. Anti-microbial resistance is a huge issue for healthcare providers and one that is only going to get worse if the prescription of antibiotics is not targeted by accurate and rapid diagnostics. This programme fi ts perfectly with our near term commercial strategy to focus on developing Affi mer reagents for rapid diagnostics. It will deliver valuable Affi mer reagents that are specifi c to key bacterial strains, which can be developed into a range of third party diagnostic platforms. In the longer term the programme will also deliver novel, microfl uidic, rapid test devices, which may surpass existing technologies.


Alastair Smith 43856pr@reply-direct.com New Facilities to Support Discovery Services Growth


A move into additional laboratory space at Alderley Park in Cheshire, has expanded Concept Life Sciences capacity by over 30% and brought the key disciplines of the integrated discovery services company together into one location. The company has also added a further 75 full-time employees, including 55 scientists (medicinal chemists and biologists) across the two facilities, which total 12,400 ft2.


Alderley Park Campus, Cheshire


Concept’s drug discovery services encompass medicinal chemistry, pharmacology screening, assay development and ADME, supporting biotech and pharma companies by adding value and IP to their small molecule discovery programmes. “This signifi cant investment will enable us to put in place the expertise to support Concept Life Sciences’ projected growth into 2018 and beyond,” said executive chairman, Michael Fort. “The expansion to the Mereside campus at Alderley Park is a pivotal step in the development of the group’s corporate and commercial profi le to its international client base, opening new opportunities for collaboration and growth,


markedly increasing the depth of our scientifi c offering and capitalising on Concept’s strong track record of delivery.”


“We welcome Concept to the Mereside campus, where the Company will benefi t from the world class science facilities and access to talent. We are proud of the scientifi c ecosystem that exists here at Alderley Park and within the wider network of Manchester Science Partnerships, where we have close links with Universities, NHS institutions and research organisations,” commented Dr Chris Doherty, managing director at Alderley Park. “Concept Life Sciences’ track record shows a great deal of progress in a short space of time and the new Alderley Park base will provide the laboratory and offi ce infrastructure required to help maintain their recent momentum.”


44086pr@reply-direct.com clinical development programmes we expertly deliver.”


Lord Provost Eva Bolander said: “Clintec International Ltd is a phenomenal success story. It therefore gave me immense pleasure, as Lord Lieutenant, to present its founder and Chief Executive, Dr Rabinder Buttar, with the Queen’s Award for International Trade. This dynamic Glasgow based company, which I was delighted to be given a tour of, has excelled itself in its short lifetime contributing to the city’s diverse business life. This represents its second Queen’s Award. It already has a highly deserved Queen’s Award for Enterprise.”


During the same day, Sophie Totten, the company’s fi rst Master’s Graduate in International Clinical Research & Technology, was recognised for her achievement obtaining her Master’s Degree, which has been developed jointly by Clintec and Edinburgh Napier University.


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First Halcyon IMRT Systems Arrive in UK


Queen’s Hospital in Romford, which has one of the busiest oncology departments in the south of England, can now offer UK cancer patients access to high throughput image-guided radiotherapy therapies following the recent installation of the fi rst of two Varian Halcyon systems.


“The arrival of the country’s fi rst Halcyon systems is great news for local patients,” said Liz Crees, Head of Radiotherapy Physics at Queen’s Hospital, part of the Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals Trust (BHRUT). “We are a big cancer centre and we see a lot of patients. These new machines are designed to be very patient friendly and allow treatment to be delivered very quickly while also offering state-of-the-art cancer care.”


“The Halcyon systems will allow us to offer patient- centered, high quality, high speed, fully image- guided radiotherapy,” added Sherif Raouf, Director of Cancer Services at Queen’s Hospital. “We look forward to having the machines operational so that we can enhance the excellence of our patient care.”


Engineered to simplify clinical workfl ow, the new system’s image-guided volumetric intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT), requires nine steps from the start to the end of treatment compared to up to more than 30 steps with older technologies nearing end of life. It is suitable for use in the treatment of prostate, breast, head & neck, and many other forms of cancer.


“We are pleased Queen’s Hospital will be one of the fi rst centres in the world to install this new system, and that they will be able to take advantage of its many features to continue delivering high-quality care to their patients,” said Adele Lyons, Varian’s UK & Ireland Sales Director.


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