Nexxus Scotland

Organon

Organon is one jewel in the West of Scotland's life science crown that cannot afford to be ignored. A subsidiary company of global biotech powerhouse Akzo Nobel, the organisation has chosen to base its entire UK research division in Newhouse, Lanarkshire.

The state-of-the-art facility houses 330 people engaged in pre-clinical research with a focus on neuroscience, including analgesia and studies into treatments for psychiatric conditions like schizophrenia and depression. More than 30 per cent of Organon's global pre-clinical research capability is based here, just off the M8.

Globally, Organon is well-known for playing a key role in the development of the contraceptive pill, and the company is still currently active in gynaecology and fertility research. Other therapeutic areas of focus include anaesthesia, neuroscience and immunology.

Just as the pill has revolutionised modern contraception, Organon has high hopes that current late stage development candidates such as sugammadex will have a significant impact on other aspects of human healthcare. This drug candidate, that originated from the Scottish research laboratories, is in late stage clinical trials and could potentially transform anaesthesiology practise in the operating environment.

Organon originally developed a number of neuromuscular blocking agents (NMBAs), or muscle relaxants, which have long been used in surgery, including rocuronium bromide, marketed as Esmeron^®. This drug can be used when patients need to be kept paralyzed during large or delicate surgery, or to allow manipulations of bone and muscle during, for example, orthopaedic surgery such as knee or hip replacement. However, complete muscle paralysis means patients cannot breath so a tube has to be placed into their windpipe and a ventilator controls their breathing during the surgical procedure. Once the procedure is finished, it is preferable for the tube to be removed from the windpipe as soon as possible but to do this the effects of Esmeron must first wear off.

Sugammadex is a highly innovative Selective Relaxant Binding Agent (SRBA) - the first of a new class of agents to reverse neuromuscular block. Currently in Phase III trials, it has been designed to quickly and safely reverse the effects of Esmeron. Intended to give full control of the muscle relaxant effects, it allows anaesthesiologists to "switch off" these effects within three minutes, regardless of depth of block, in a safe and efficacious way. Currently immediate reversal is not possible and currently available reversal agents have various untoward effects, not shown so far by sugammadex.

At a molecular level, sugammadex is a cyclodextrin, a series of sugar molecules connected to form a ring. Once in the body, it works by combining with the rod-shaped Esmeron molecule in a process known as encapsulation or binding. Once inside the ring, the Esmeron molecule is effectively locked in by the sugammadex molecule and can no longer take effect. The drug complex is then safely excreted from the body.

Dr Chris Hill, Vice President of research at Organon in Scotland, says: "Sugammadex has the potential to vastly improve the speed of medical procedures. Anything that can be done to reduce recovery time would be hugely beneficial. In addition, with sugammadex it will be possible to maintain a deep block until the end of the procedure. This will improve surgical conditions in certain procedures dramatically."

Another significant benefit is that it increases the safety of surgery. If a problem is encountered and it is necessary to revive the patient, the compound allows the surgical team to quickly and safely reverse the effects of the neuromuscular blockade.

Progress such as this has been made possible by the investment Organon has put into the Newhouse site. In the mid-90s the company made a strategic decision to grow the research capability of the site, spending more than £40 million on ensuring the facility offered unparalleled laboratory resources.

Akzo Nobel now intends to create two separate companies; coatings and chemicals, and pharmaceuticals. The new biopharmaceutical business, to be known as Organon BioSciences, is expected to be a wholly-separate company two or three years after a minority IPO planned for late 2006.

Dr Hill adds: "I think it's a hugely exciting time for life sciences in Scotland. The sector is still relatively young and it's good to see a lot of start ups appearing and subsequently going to IPO, and hopefully generating a sustainable biotech environment."

"Another thing which is a huge feather in the West of Scotland's cap is that there is an extremely strong academic community. I also believe there is increasingly a greater awareness of the benefits of working together and this helps to catalyse people to collaborate effectively so we can sell ourselves on the global stage."

"An integrated life sciences community is important for the future of the sector, and it's absolutely crucial for our collective success that everyone involved buys into the idea."

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