Specials Laboratory sold as owners look to expand contract manufacturing

Published: 25-Nov-2008

Northumberland, UK-based business, The Specials Laboratory has completed a buyout deal with United Drug plc.


Northumberland, UK-based business, The Specials Laboratory has completed a buyout deal with United Drug plc.

The £20.1m acquisition comes as The Specials Laboratory officially de-merges from sister company SCM Pharma Ltd (formerly Specials Clinical Manufacturing).

The jobs of all 120 staff that work across its three sites manufacturing unlicensed medicines known as ‘specials’ for retail pharmaceutical and hospital markets, have been secured under new owner United Drug plc.

United Drug has, in addition to its pharma wholesale business in the UK and Ireland, supply chain, contract marketing & sales and diagnostic services. It says it has ambitious growth plans to establish The Specials Laboratory as a market leader in the UK specials manufacturing market.

Based in Prudhoe, The Specials Laboratory company has enjoyed growth since its founding by business partners Fiona Cruickshank and Brian Dougherty in 1999. Its de-merger and sale comes as the founding duo concentrate on the global expansion of SCM Pharma which offers bespoke contract outsourced solutions, including sterile and non sterile manufacturing, development and clinical packaging, for the entire drug development market.

Md of SCM Pharma Ltd, Fiona Cruickshank, said: ‘Today marks a very important landmark and after almost 10 years we felt it was the right time to de-merge the two companies. We’ve built up a highly successful, profitable and self sustaining business in The Specials Laboratory, and with a truly outstanding senior management team, we know it will continue to excel in the specials market.

“We now want to focus our efforts on SCM Pharma and capitalise on the high growth opportunities presented by the global pharmaceutical, bio and healthcare markets.

SCM Pharma is housed in a 17,000 sq ft purpose-built facility offering some of the most advance cleanroom facilities in the UK.

Last month SCM Pharma officially launched two new services for the radiopharma and biologicals sectors.

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