Plans have been announced by Eurofins Scientific, a leader in bioanalytical testing, to establish a new pharmaceutical chemistry and microbiology facility in Livingston, Scotland, as a part of a £4 million investment.
This announcement follows the company’s acquisition of Exova’s pharmaceutical, food and water testing business in the UK & Ireland in July 2016, and the subsequent purchase of ILS’s pharmaceutical business in October 2016. The new facility significantly increases Eurofins UK capacity and will house the company’s Biopharmaceutical Testing business. Development of a 1400 m2 of lab space will comprise the first phase of the project, creating scope for significant expansion.
“It’s an exciting time for Eurofins as we strengthen our footprint in the UK and Ireland. The new facility offers significant capacity for future growth, as well as the space to take on new projects more rapidly and react to customer needs more flexibly,” said Alison Clayton, general manager, Eurofins BioPharma Product Testing. “The purpose-built lab space will also help to improve productivity, meaning we can provide a more streamlined and efficient service to biopharmaceutical companies accessing our analytical testing services.”
Furthermore, as a part of the investment, a new inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) machine will be purchased as well as more high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) equipment.
These additions will enable the company to adapt to future demands as a result of the introduction of the International Conference of Harmonization (ICH), Q3D Guideline for Elemental Impurities. “From 1 January 2018, these regulations will apply to both new and existing drug products, so by investing now, we are preparing for future demands and market requirements,” Clayton added.