Life sciences
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Life Sciences is an exciting new sector in which Merseyside and Liverpool are doing very well. The region has a long history of making of drugs and medicines for the health industry.
Merseyside has a new cluster of life science research and clinical activity in existing and newly arrived companies. Its strengths and focus for growth are in biomedical biotechnology - and in particular in the groundbreaking field of tissue engineering.
Major companies operating in Merseyside include:
- Chiron Vaccines (employing over 700 people),
- Eli Lilly,
- Powder Systems,
- Bristol-Myers Squibb,
- Medimmune; and
- Unilever
In total, there are 80 core life science companies operating in the Merseyside region; many of them are based in the Liverpool area.
National Biomanufacturing Centre
The National Biomanufacturing Centre (NBC) at Speke was completed in early 2006. It cost £34 million to build; the money came mostly from public sector grants.
The Centre forms part of a Merseyside project to develop and clinically test new medicines, vaccines and insecticides. Its aim is to support the UK biotechnology industry, and to promote the North West as a leading edge centre in this field.
NBC will provide the expertise and facilities at all stages of the production of biopharmaceutical products. These will ultimately be medicines.
The NBC is owned by the North West Development Agency (NWDA) and is operated by Eden Biodesign
In summer 2006, it won the contract from University of Liverpool to produce a new form of cancer treatment. This involves a new type of antibody that selects cancer cells and destroys them.
You can find out more by visiting the National Biomanufacturing Centre website.
MerseyBIO
MerseyBIO is the agency responsible for leading the development of the life sciences sector on Merseyside. Its £15million new building was completed in 2002 on the eastern edge of the city centre, close to the Royal Liverpool Hospital.
MerseyBIO has a vision to achieve and sustain growth of the life sciences sector through:
- commercialisation of life science technology from universities, NHS trusts and research-based organisations;
- the start-up and incubation of new companies;
- providing assistance to local companies;
- developing an infrastructure which supports the future growth of the sector.
If you want to know more, you can visit the MerseyBIO website.