Nexxus Scotland

Evotec (Scotland) Limited

Evotec (Scotland) Limited  ("Evotec") started out life as a spin-out from the pharmaceutical department at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, Scotland.

Originally named ProPharma, the company recently adopted the name of its German parent company, Evotec AG. 

Founded in Y2000 by two academics, Dr Alan Baillie and Dr Sandy Allan, the company now employs nearly forty people at its base on the West of Scotland Science Park and provides services to life sciences clients all over the globe.

The company is MHRA licensed and licensed to manufacture pharmaceuticals to GMP standards for use in clinical trials.

Evotec is a good example of a University spin-out which has prospered in the commercial arena. Providing services to the pharmaceutical industry, Evotec trades on its ability to deliver services more efficiently than its clients could achieve by themselves.

It has two primary services which it offers to the pharmaceutical industry; drug formulation development and aseptic manufacture of clinical trials supplies.

The locality of Evotec in the West of Scotland has proved key to it's success. With Europe being the second largest pharmaceuticals market in the world, the company benefits from operating within the same legislative and regulatory environment as its customers' major outlets.

Colin MacKay (Senior Vice-President, Business Development, Evotec) commented, "Where patenting new drugs and bringing them to market is concerned, time is worth more than money. Our clients are attracted by our track record of fast and efficient delivery, and our ability to meet their specific criteria within the appropriate regulatory framework."

In drug formulation development, Evotec takes a proposed new compound in its pure form, working with it to find a form in which it is both stable and soluble. This is essential not only for its clinical efficacy, but also to ensure it will first pass the strict technical and regulatory criteria to gain approval.

"The clients' pharmaceutical research team will have obtained proof of principle and know that their development compound shows promise as a future drug.  But before they can bring it to market, they need to know that it will work in clinical trials. Our expertise lies in knowing how to develop an appropriate formulation required to be able to take the potential drugs in to clinical trials. The calibre of scientists we employ have ensured that we have developed an excellent reputation in this regard."

The second core service offered by Evotec is the aseptic, or sterile, manufacture of the drug formulations, for clinical trials.

To gain regulatory approval, the developer of a new drug must demonstrate that the formulation is robust and suitable for the task for which it is designed. Evotec therefore assists it's collaborators by manufacturing small amounts of the drug formulation to very high standards.

"The first of our core services is driven by technical challenge and the second by our detailed understanding of the regulatory environment. Both are essential to bringing a research product to the important next stage of the development process" explains Colin Mackay

Evotec (Scotland) Limited is part of the Evotec Group, headquartered in Hamburg, Germany. Although they have been part of the group since they were first set up in Y2000, the Scottish operation retains a degree of operational autonomy and has its own clients across Europe, the US, Canada and Japan.

Scottish scientists have a proud tradition of studying and working abroad and it is therefore no surprise to Evotec that its reputation has spread globally within five years, at least partly through the migration of fellow scientists and researchers.

On the back of this, Evotec moved into profit in only its second year of operation and in 2004 it's revenues grew by 35% with respect to the previous year to £2.4m.

Colin MacKay says, "Our location in Scotland is very important to anyone hoping to access the European markets for pharmaceutical products.  Our scientific expertise in finding suitable formulations for drug compounds is crucial but our in-depth knowledge of the single regulatory environment which operates across all Europe is just as important for us to be able to operate efficiently."  

"We also never underestimate the importance of offering a world class service in terms of speed, flexibility, and in the priority we give to client service and communication". 

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