24th March 2010

A national award for export success has gone to R5 Pharmaceuticals, the Nottingham-based bio-science company which has increased sales abroad by a staggering 1000%. One of several national awards presented by Medilink UK on 11th March, the ‘Export Achievement’ category was sponsored by UK Trade & Investment and adds to the growing number of business trophies won by the R5 team.

This latest accolade recognises the firm’s ability to secure new clients in the US, Korea, Japan, Australia and New Zealand as well as mainland Europe. Pharmaceutical companies turn to R5 when they need a new form of drug delivery for clinical trials, be it as tablets, capsules, powder, liquid, cream or injection. With sales of nearly £3 million and a staff base of 47, the company plans to expand further on the back of overseas orders which already account for 75% of turnover.

“Winning feels great,” says Chief Executive Paul Titley. “A national award at this point in our company’s growth is well deserved by the staff working day-to-day at our BioCity Nottingham labs. Our ethos is never to say no and we are always looking for opportunities to solve customer problems. This approach appears to have paid off.”

R5 have made the most of the help available from Medilink East Midlands, UKTI and East Midlands Development Agency (emda). A Medilink connection with De Montfort University enabled a saving of twenty thousand pounds to improve a delivery device, whilst the UKTI helped the company to become recognised in France as a source of scientific services. With a recent Grant for Research and Development (GRD), secured through emda, the company is well positioned for growth. Grant for Research and Development is one of the Government’s Solutions for Business products and is part funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

“Competition for a Medilink UK award is extremely tough,” says Dr Darren Clark chief executive of Medilink East Midlands, “but we now have leading life sciences companies based here in the region and can expect great things of them. R5 have wisely taken advantage of all the services Medilink East Midlands provides, including networking events, exhibitions and international trade shows.”

Speaking on behalf of UKTI, International Trade Director Peter Hogarth said: “R5 Pharmaceuticals is a credit to the region and to the UK. Their ability to grasp international trade opportunities is exemplary, and just the kind of export activity we need to encourage as the economy climbs out of recession.”

Go to http://www.medilinkuk.com for full details of the Medilink UK Awards

ENDS

Photo available.

Media contact: Louise Third, Integra Communications

0115 912 4350 / 07773 288342

Editor notes:

R5 was established in 2006 at BioCity Nottingham by Paul Titley, Janette Waterhouse and David Jordan to develop and manufacture new clinical trial materials for pharmaceutical and biotech companies. The three had met previously while working at Quintiles who were at the time the world’s largest clinical outsource company. The majority of the industry does not have their own laboratories. The regulations surrounding the provision of test medicines that will be used in human trials are considerable, and therefore providing these services as an outsource model is attractive. The original ambition of R5 was to be able to provide all dosage forms in contrast to the competition which often select one or two (due to the costs of setting up the relevant facilities). The unique opportunity at BioCity was to refurbish labs and equipment that was already available for the breadth of medicines required by R5. R5 was funded via a combination of VC, Angel, Bank and Directors own funds.

Medilink EM was established by emda in 2000 and formed a limited by Guarantee Company in February 2004. Medilink EM is the networking organisation for the healthcare and bioscience sector in the East Midlands, encompassing medical technologies, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology. Membership benefits include specific healthcare support in marketing, regulatory affairs, clinical evaluation and procurement, access to training and networking events, international conference and exhibition support, and use of sophisticated research tools.

Medilink EM’s diverse membership base includes large healthcare companies such as 3M Health Care in Loughborough, medium size companies including Pennine Healthcare in Derby and smaller companies like Hospital Aids in Northampton. Membership is also drawn from the region’s broader healthcare community including service companies, the universities, and the NHS.

MedilinkEM is also part of a national network of similar organisations, Medilink UK, which is driving national healthcare strategy through its links with central government.

East Midlands Development Agency (emda) is one of nine Regional Development Agencies in England, set up in 1999 to bring a regional focus to economic development.
Ten years on, independent evaluation shows emda has:

• Had a significant impact on the region’s economy
• Generated economic benefits that substantially outweigh its overall costs
• Put back over £9 of economic output (or GVA) into the regional economy for every £1 it spends
• Produced more than £1 billion in economic benefits per year
• A wider impact on people, places and businesses in the East Midlands that cannot be captured by figures alone.

emda is committed to supporting the region through the current downturn and has put in place a range of measures to provide real help during these challenging times.
Over the long term, emda’s aim is to deliver the 2006 Regional Economic Strategy (RES) by working in partnership with public, private and voluntary organisations. The RES highlights the themes of productivity, sustainability and equality and sets out key priorities until 2020 to ensure the vision for ‘a flourishing region’ can be achieved.
For more details visit www.emda.org.uk

For information about the support available for innovation in East Midlands, visit www.eminnovation.org.uk

About ERDF in the East Midlands

The East Midlands is eligible for €268.5m (approximately £246m at current exchange rates) between 2007 and 2013, which when combined with match funding, provides a programme value of approximately £492m – a significant investment in the economic development of the region.

The East Midlands qualifies as a competitiveness and employment region under the EU’s Cohesion Policy, which aims to meet the EU Lisbon objective to become ‘the most competitive and dynamic knowledge based economy in the world, capable of sustainable economic growth with more and better jobs and greater social inclusion.’

East Midlands Development Agency (emda) is responsible for the programme management and delivery of the region’s 2007-13 ERDF Competitiveness Programme. The responsibility for ERDF programme management was transferred from the Government Office for the East Midlands (GOEM) to emda following a decision by the UK Government to seek greater alignment between ERDF and regional strategies and funding streams. The 2007-13 ERDF Programme is therefore set firmly within the framework of the Regional Economic Strategy.

A Programme Monitoring Committee, chaired by the Regional Director of Government Office for the East Midlands (GOEM), guides the strategic direction of the programme and works closely with emda.

To find out more about ERDF, the region’s strategy for delivering the funds, how to apply for funding and how the programme is managed, please visit www.eastmidlandserdf.org.uk