19 July 2010
FILL/FINISH specialist SCM Pharma has picked up several new and repeat contracts that will initially be worth around £500k, including its first US-based client.
The projects, which cover the manufacturing and supply of drug products for clinical trials and ongoing commercial market supply, could potentially be worth around £1.5 million in the first year.
Due to confidentially reasons, SCM Pharma is unable to reveal the identities of its new customers but did confirm they include pharmaceutical companies from both the USA and Europe.
The contract-wins coincide with a major recruitment drive by the Northumberland-based contract manufacturing organisation (CMO). The firm has recently taken on seven new employees – taking staff numbers to 54 – and is on the look out to recruit more people in business development, manufacturing and quality.
Dianne Sharp, managing director at SCM Pharma, said: “These are very exciting times for everyone at SCM Pharma. We have worked very hard in identifying, attracting and securing the type of clients we have recently signed-up and we are now aiming to build long term relationships with these new customers.
“Even though we have faced difficult trading conditions and seen major cutbacks in the pharmaceutical industry this year, we are on track for a 22% growth versus the previous financial year.”
The fast-growing company is hoping to pick up more business in the USA and Europe later this year by attending ICSE in Paris and AAPS in New Orleans. Its team will use the events to showcase the company’s specialist sterile filling expertise, which includes the short-run fill/finish of radio-labelled compounds, highly potent products and non-live biologicals.
With an emphasis on manufacturing novel, difficult and dangerous drug products, the CMO offers sterile and non-sterile GMP production services to pharmaceutical, biotech and medical device companies across the world.
This global push has been assisted by a major grant awarded to SCM Pharma by UK Trade & Investment (UKTI) early this year to help support its international growth plans. The company was one of only 40 businesses to be successful in winning the £30k UKTI Horizons grant.
The company has now worked with a third of the top ten global pharmaceutical firms on various product indications across a number of therapeutic areas including cancer, rheumatoid arthritis, epilepsy, dermatitis, needle-free injection technology and sexual health.
ENDS
Picture caption: NEW CONTRACTS – SCM Pharma MD Dianne Sharp
Media contact: Raman Sehgal at SCM Pharma
01661 838 186 / ramans@scm-pharma.com
