Member Article

North East drug firm goes international

A Prudhoe-based drug maker has won a contract with one of the world’s leading pharmaceutical companies.

SCM Pharma has been asked by Sanofi-aventis to handle a new trial cancer drug in their specialised sterile facilities. SCM will work with the multi-national drugs company for three months, and will be making the drug before packaging it off to Sanofi-aventis for trails in Europe.

Shirley Dann, SCM Pharma’s Managing Director, said: “We are very pleased to be working with Sanofi-aventis on such an innovative project.

“The requirements fit very well with our strengths of handling such products and utilising our specialist sterile manufacturing capabilities.

“This particular project is also a triumph for the North East’s pharmaceutical sector with one of the bigger players like Sanofi-aventis collaborating with a smaller niche firm like ourselves.”

The drug will be given a radioactive ‘tag’ that SCM Pharma will develop into a suitable dosage so Sanofi-aventis can trace the effect the drug has on the body during its clinical trials.

The head if production at Sanofi Aventis said: “Due to the nature of this specific product, we required a specialist manufacturing partner, ideally in the UK.

“It seemed the ideal opportunity to work with a local partner the help us deliver this key stage of the overall project.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .