Tepnel starts construction of new Scottish laboratories

Tepnel Life Sciences, the UK-based international molecular diagnostics and research products & services group, is beginning construction work on its new pharmaceutical testing facility in Livingston, Scotland.

The laboratory will house Tepnel's protein analysis and genomic testing laboratories as well as the company's analytical chemistry, bioanalysis and microbiology facilities.

The new facility is planned to come on stream in the second quarter of 2007 and will initially employ 42 people who are currently located at Tepnel's two existing Scottish facilities in Glasgow and Edinburgh. It will serve as an outsourcing resource to the fast growing biological medicines sector.

This state-of-the-art laboratory will allow Tepnel to continue the development of some of its specialised products and services in high growth areas such as pharmacogenomics, new generations of vaccines and the rapidly evolving therapeutic protein market.

The project is being part-funded by Scottish Enter-prise Edinburgh and Lothian. "This new facility will contribute to Scotland's economy and more specifically will open the door to the biopharmaceutical marketplace, which is currently valued at £24bn and has been growing at an impressive rate over the last five years,. said Scottish Enterprise ceo Jack Perry.

"This is an important milestone in our long-term strategy to provide the most competitive platform for our existing pharmaceutical analysis services," added Tepnel ceo Ben Matzilevich.