Tepnel Starts Construction of new Scottish Laboratories

Tepnel Life Sciences PLC has announced that it is beginning construction work on its new pharmaceutical testing facility in Livingston, Scotland. 

This laboratory will house Tepnel’s protein analysis and genomic testing laboratories as well as the Company’s analytical chemistry, bioanalysis and microbiology facilities.
 
Commencement of the project began with a ceremony, present were Scottish Enterprise CEO Jack Perry and Tepnel’s CEO Ben Matzilevich.

The 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.
 
The facility will serve as an outsourcing resource to the fast growing biological medicines sector. 

With double digit growth predicted in the biological medicines sector through to 2010, more jobs should follow as the business continues to grow over the next few years.
 
This laboratory will allow Tepnel to continue its development of some of its specialized products and services in high growth areas such as pharmacogenomics, new generations of vaccines and the evolving therapeutic protein market.
 
The project is being part funded by Scottish Enterprise Edinburgh and Lothian.  Scottish Enterprise CEO Jack Perry commented, "It is gratifying to see a UK-based company in a key industry for Scotland investing in the future by creating and expanding its business and adding jobs to the economy."

"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 £24 billion and has been growing at an impressive rate over the last five years."
 
"This new facility will be crucial to our ability to expand and continue to serve our clients with the highest level of customer service," said Ben Matzilevich, Tepnel’s CEO.

"As stated in our February press release, when we purchased this site, this is an important milestone in our long-term strategy to provide the most competitive platform for our existing pharmaceutical analysis services."