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Quotient Bioresearch acquires radiochemical custom synthesis operations
from GE Healthcare
Acquired business to provide Quotient-Amersham Radiochemicals branded
products and services
Major investment in new radiochemicals facility to be located in Cardiff, Wales
Cambridgeshire, UK, 25th June, 2009 – Quotient Bioresearch Limited
(“Quotient”), a leading provider of drug development services, announces that it
has reached an agreement to acquire Amersham Radiolabelling Services (“Amersham
Radiolabelling Services”), the radiochemical custom synthesis operations of GE
Healthcare. This represents Quotient’s seventh acquisition since its formation
in early 2007.
Quotient Chemistry & Metabolism
Amersham Radiolabelling Services offers an established bespoke service for the
custom synthesis of carbon-14 and tritium labelled compounds to the
pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. The operations and staff of
Amersham Radiolabelling Services will combine with the radiochemistry and
metabolism activities of Quotient Bioresearch to form a new strategic business
unit – Quotient Chemistry & Metabolism. The Cardiff-based group will provide
Quotient-Amersham Radiochemicals branded products and services. Combined the
business will serve over 250 clients across the world.
This acquisition reinforces Quotient’s commitment to providing a seamless
“synthesis to clinical study report” capability to pharmaceutical and
biotechnology clients engaged in studies containing radiolabelled compounds.
This integrated service will simplify the procurement of regulatory and
non-regulatory studies, resulting in shorter development times and associated
efficiencies. The enlarged Quotient business will offer clients a unique service
combining:
• Manufacture of custom radio-labelled drug compounds;
• A full range of in vivo and in vitro metabolism studies covering all FDA
guidelines;
• Clinical studies, including Human AME studies, ivMicrotracerTM, and Phase 0
microdosing studies; and
• A broad range of bioanalytical services.
Quotient’s Chairman and Chief Executive Paul Cowan said “This acquisition and
the formation of Quotient Chemistry & Metabolism represents a major step in the
building of the Group’s integrated approach to metabolism and carbon-14 enabled
drug development capability. We are uniquely placed to offer our clients
standalone services or a fully-integrated service offering in this area, with
all the associated benefits.”
New facility in Cardiff
In support of the acquisition of Amersham Radiolabelling Services, Quotient
plans to invest up to £15 million in a new state-of-the-art-laboratory in
Cardiff. Completion of this new facility is timed to coincide with GE Healthcare
ending its radiolabelling operations at the end of March 2010, thus minimizing
any impact on customers. Approximately 75 Amersham Radiolabelling Services
scientific and commercial staff with over 1,000 combined years of experience in
the custom synthesis of radiochemicals will transfer to Quotient.
To ensure continuity of service to customers, the transfer of operations and
staff will take place in three stages. From today the global sales operations
will transfer to Quotient, with the tritium and carbon-14 radiolabelling
services transferring to Quotient by the end of 2009 and March 2010
respectively.
Following completion of the new Cardiff facility, Quotient will have over 600
staff across its UK facilities. With its existing strong client base in Europe,
the US and Japan, the principal focus of Quotient Bioresearch will be to provide
a unique and comprehensive range of early-stage drug development services to a
broad range of customers.
Stephen Lewinton, current Managing Director of the Drug Development Services
Group at Quotient, has been appointed as the Managing Director of Quotient
Chemistry & Metabolism.
For more information on Quotient Chemistry & Metabolism, please call +44 1638
720 500, email
amersham@quotientbioresearch.com or visit
www.quotientbioresearch.com.
Ends
About Quotient Bioresearch
Quotient Bioresearch is part of Quotient Bioscience Group, which comprises
Quotient Bioresearch, HFL Sport Science and Quotient Biodiagnostics. Quotient
Bioresearch provides a range of specialist, early-stage drug development
services; HFL Sport Science is the world’s premier drug surveillance and doping
control laboratory for sport; and Quotient Biodiagnostics is one of the world’s
leading manufacturers of monoclonal reagents for blood typing. Quotient
Bioscience has grown rapidly in the past three years, through a combination of
both acquisition-led and organic growth.
For further information:
www.quotientbioscience.com .
Media Contacts:
Paul Cowan, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, Quotient Bioresearch
+44 (0)1638 720 500
Stephen Lewinton, Managing Director, Quotient Chemistry & Metabolism
+44 (0) 1638 720 500
Gordon Cameron, Chief Financial Officer, Quotient Bioresearch
+44 (0) 1638 720 500
Richard Kent, Director, Kapler Communications
+44 (0) 1480 479 280
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