In a ground breaking ceremony led by Baroness Scott of Bybrook, OBE, Porton Biopharma has begun the construction of a new pharmaceutical development lab that will provide state-of-the-art facilities for its teams of scientists.
The 530 square metre single storey building has been designed to reflect modern best practice in laboratory design and will replace older facilities that have been well utilised in recent years. The new facility will feature a fermentation suite with a range of bench-scale reactors and a downstream processing suite for activities such as filtration and chromatography, all supported by preparation areas and a plant room.
The building will accommodate a team of scientists and technicians who are dedicated to developing and improving the methods used in the pharmaceutical manufacture of life saving products. New methods, materials and techniques are constantly being developed and ensuring that we keep up-to-date with the latest innovations and industry standards is important to maintain our leading position in the field biopharmaceutical development and manufacture.
As well as improving processes and yields for our own products, the facilities will also be used to undertake developmental contract work for our customers who wish to translate their research into clinical outcomes. These customers will benefit from the knowledge and experience that we have developed over the years by working on licensed biopharmaceuticals.
Commenting on the start of the construction phase, Dr Trevor Marks, Director of Development, said: 'My team are really looking forward to the completion of this new state-of-the-art facility later in the year and all the new equipment that they will be available to help deliver increased benefits for our customers and their future patients.'